Different Reasons
by Whiffles
Summary: A new journey begins for the cast of Soul Calibur when Leixia falls in love and is faced with a predicament that leads Natsu to uncover the mystery of her master's whereabouts. The group uncovers shocking secrets Mitsurugi and Taki had tried so hard to hide, and had succeeded until they begin their search for the malfestation cure, with the aid of their old and new friends alike.
1. Sleepover

**Author's note:**

**Bear with me on all this fluffy schoolgirl crush romance early on. It escalates, I promise. I wanted to write something really emotional, meaningful and worth reading, and due to the ages of the characters in the first chapter, I thought it would be more fitting and realistic to have such a juvenile conversation. But please don't let the first few chapters be any indication of what's to come. For all I care you can skip the first few chapters if you want to get to the good stuff, but plot wise I think everyone would have a better understanding of what's going on if you just bear with me on the less interesting and less creative beginnings.**

"Leixia, girl," Natsu snapped her friend back into the world. "Well?"

"What?" she returned, clearly not having paid any attention to the conversation.

"Were you paying any attention to anything I just said?" Natsu demanded to know, an irritated look growing on her face.

"Haha, nope, sorry!" the giggly teen confessed. "I'm so out of it."

"Look, I know all about your journeys and battles and everything, but could you please focus on a conversation? It's important," she declared.

"Fine, sorry. What is it?"

"What do you think about Xiba?"

"Xiba? Why, is something wrong?"

"Well, no, not really... I was just wondering something, that's all."

"Wonder what? Who he's gonna bother for food tonight?" Leixia laughed.

"Well, no," Natsu fumbled over words before going in for the kill. "Are you interested in him?"

"He's all yours, Natsu," Leixia responded uncaringly.

"Mine? What? No!" Natsu became defensive and felt the need to clear her reputation. "I'm not interested in Xiba!"

"Well that was a random question, then," Leixia responded as she rolled over on her long missed bed, staring at her decorated ceiling now.

"Actually, it wasn't... if you had been listening! Nevermind, though. That's all I needed to hear," she responded before mumbling, "It's probably best that's all you know..."

"What, does he like me or something?" Leixia joked, but after a few awkward moments of silence, she noticed the serious look on Natsu's face and followed up. "Oh ... you're serious."

"Doesn't matter," Natsu assured her. "I just said I'd ask."

"Oh, please," Leixia quickly dismissed the entire conversation. "He should know he's not my type."

"Haha, right," Natsu agreed.

"I just wish that my type would go for me, once in a while," the smitten teenager sadly confessed.

"Well then, you need a different type," Natsu advised.

"I can't help it. I like what I like."

"Girl, you like the wrong type! I'm surprised you haven't fallen for Maxi. He'd fit your 'type' perfectly," Natsu joked.

"I'm not ruling him out as a possibility," Leixia admitted. "That'd be nice, if it worked out with him. Really attractive, strong, energetic, and a great body too-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Leixia, this is Maxi you're talking about," Natsu quickly became a little more involved in the conversation.

"What? I'm not allowed to point out good qualities in people? Gosh, Natsu, you're so negative."

"Negative?" Natsu became slightly offended. "I'm just .. a bit weirded out, actually, hearing you talk about Maxi like that."

"Don't act like you've never thought about it."

"I haven't! You're forgetting, _you're_ the one who fantasizes over every attractive man she finds."

"See, you just admitted you think he's attractive," Leixia teased her friend.

"That's all you. Maxi isn't my type. So go do your thing and fantasize about him."

"I will!"

Natsu rolled her eyes and carried on with her sleepover.


	2. Reporter

"Well, how did it go?!" Xiba spazzed as soon as Natsu approached him, tossing a turkey leg in his direction. He immediately started chowing down on it, and Natsu spoke up.

"Sorry," was all she said with a shrug.

"Fowwy?" he repeated with a mouthful.

"Xiba, cover your mouth when you're eating!"

"Fowwy!" he said again, and quickly swallowed. "I take it she said no?"

"You're not her type. Sorry, Xiba," Natsu was glad to get the worst part over with, but he seemed uncaring as he continued to ravage his lunchtime snack from Natsu.

"Well, we can't have everything we want in life," he responded with an uncaring tone.

"So you don't even care?" Natsu realized, feeling offended at her efforts.

"Hey, she's not interested, no point in sulking over it," he said between bites and then quickly got back into his old habit of talking with his mouth full. "I mean yeah, I'm diffappointed, but I'll get over it."

"I didn't expect you to take it so lightly..." Natsu mumbled with conflicting emotions. "Where is Leixia, by the way? I have something for her."

"Probably at Maxi's," Xiba informed her as food shot out of his mouth and onto the ground. He simply picked it up and continued eating. "I saw her a little while ago and she said something about 'Gotta see Maxi' so she's probably with him."

"Maxi's?! What is she up to now..." Natsu blurted out in a strange tone, seemingly irritated but only slightly.

"Why would she be up to something?" Xiba innocently requested to know. "Can't she just visit Maxi?"

"Uh ... no. We had a talk about Maxi the other night."

"What kind of talk? Is he in trouble?" Xiba seemed concerned, and considered going there himself for a moment.

"No ... I just think she might do something stupid," Natsu pointed out.

"Like what? Start flirting with him, like she does with every other guy?" Xiba joked. "... Except me..."

"I think she will, actually. We got to talking and I'm pretty sure Leixia is ... romantically interested in Maxi."

"What? That's insane. He's like a hundred years old. Come on..."

"Well I'm going over there. Hopefully before she does something reckless..." Natsu narrated as she began walking off, quickly followed by a still-hungry Xiba.

"Hey, I'll go with you! I saw Maxi at the market earlier, maybe he can feed me dinner..."


	3. Slip

Maxi opened the cabin door almost immediately after Natsu knocked, feeling the shift of the ship's floor upon which his visitors stepped.

"Natsu, Xiba! What brings you here?" Maxi allowed them inside and closed the door behind them.

"Maxi! I'm hungry," Xiba greeted his mentor.

"Not now, you pig. You just ate," Natsu scolded her friend for getting off-track, and then turned back to Maxi. "Is Leixia here?"

"You just missed her. She left just a few minutes ago."

"What were you two up to?" Xiba asked in a curious tone.

"Oh, you know Leixia," Maxi started off as he plopped down in his favorite chair.

"Yes, we know Leixia," Natsu mumbled. "Flirty, boycrazy Leixia."

Xiba couldn't help himself. "She came to flirt with you, huh?"

"Xiba!" Natsu scolded, slapping the piece of bread he pulled from his pocket onto the floor. Again, he simply picked it up and put it into his mouth.

"No..." Maxi answered suspiciously. "But could you blame her if she did? I mean, look at me. I'm irresistable."

"And so humble," Natsu followed up.

"She just wanted to see how I was doing. Brought some snack cakes over, too."

Xiba's mouth started drooling.

"She didn't ... say or do anything ... unusual?" Natsu asked, trying not to give away the details of her suspicion.

"Well she never brought me snacks before, but I don't think it's that weird. Why are you so fascinated by Leixia's reasons for visiting?"

"Oh, Leixia and Natsu had a sleepover and she said something about you-" Xiba started, quickly finding Natsu's hand covering his mouth.

"You shut your mouth, Xiba," she bossed before quickly retreating her hand. "Ew, gross! Xiba! Your slobbery bread is all over my hand now! Yuck," she angrily scowled as she brushed her hand on Xiba's clothing.

"Hey, _you_ chose to put your hand on my mouth, not me!" he reminded her as he brushed his body against hers, rubbing the moist food particles back onto her arm.

"Ugh, why do I put up with you?" she complained as she brushed it off with her hand.

"She's talking about me, huh?" Maxi interrupted their little fight. "What could she possibly have to say about me? I haven't even seen her in a while."

"There's definitely something going on between you two. I think she has a cr-" Xiba was interrupted once again by Natsu's hand.

"Don't you even dare," she threatened. "Quiet, quiet, quiet!"

"Xiba? What'd she say?" Maxi demanded.

"Uh..." he looked at Maxi, and then back at Natsu, not sure what to say. Instead, he focused on a snack cake lying on Maxi's table. Maxi realized what he was staring at, and made a deal.

"Tell you what, Xiba," he started out. "It's obvious she said something ... important. If you tell me, you can have a snack cake."

"Maxi! That's not right!" Natsu reprimanded her mentor.

"Deal," Xiba agrees.

"Xiba!" Natsu turned around. "I'll give you my entire dinner if you keep your mouth shut."

"I'll buy you dinner tonight and tomorrow if you tell me," Maxi outbid the ninja.

"Xiba if you take him up on his offer, I'll never feed you again."

"But, but!" Xiba whined.

Maxi knew that he hadn't lost yet, but chose to play quietly to avoid any further confrontation.

"Sorry, Xiba. I can't feed you all the time. Take her offer up so you don't starve."

Natsu had a look on her face that said, _I really hate you right now. I know you're up to something._

Maxi simply smiled victoriously.


	4. Bribe

"Yoo hoo," Xiba heard a light whistle in the darkness on his way home. He turned around, but saw no one.

"Psst," he heard it again. He turned around, and continued walking when he saw nothing.

Finally, the whistler gave up and threw a packaged snack at him.

"Hey! What the - ooh, food!" he quickly became distracted.

"There's more where that came from if you answer a few questions for me," Maxi began his temptation on the boy.

"Maxi, it's just you," he realized. "You scared me."

"Now that Natsu isn't here to one-up me ... dinner every night for the rest of the week."

"Really Maxi? How gracious of you!" Xiba expressed his gratitude as he unraveled the snack in his hands.

"What did Leixia say about me?"

"Well, I wasn't there, but from what Natsu said, I think she really likes you."

Maxi's eyes widened and a smirk crept up on his face. "Oh really?"

"Yeah. Something about you being her perfect type and whatnot. According to Natsu. But, you know how Leixia is. She'll probably start drooling over some guy she meets tomorrow."

"And why doesn't Natsu want you to tell me this?"

"Duh, because Natsu thinks it's just another phase. And it probably is. She doesn't want her flirting with _you_, of all people."

"What do you mean, _of all people_?" Maxi quickly lost his temper.

"Well, it's just that you've known her for so long. It might be weird, that's all. Please don't tell them I'm telling you this," he begged.

"Don't worry, Xiba. Your secret's safe with me," he assured him.

"So she really didn't try anything on you?" Xiba wanted to know after scarfing down the rest of his treat.

"... No. Unless I'm just oblivious to her moves."

"Well, you are pretty wrapped up in yourself," Xiba commented without filter.

"There's nothing wrong with taking pride in my appearance," Maxi defended himself.

"Just do me one favor, Maxi, and don't take advantage of Leixia."

"Take advantage? I would never!" Maxi seemed a bit insulted.

"You know what I mean. I'm not sure how you're taking this, or how you feel about Leixia, and to be honest it's really none of my business... just don't do anything stupid, okay?"

"Insult me again and I'll cut your free dinners in half," Maxi warned. Xiba took the hint and remained silent.


	5. Meeting

Leixia waited in the shade of a beautiful, tall tree as her bodyguard approached from afar. She hadn't seen her in weeks, and was anxiously awaiting her presence in their regular meeting place.

"It's been a while," Natsu greeted.

"It has," Leixia agreed. "Soooo... anything new you want to tell me about?"

"Well," Natsu summoned a tale from memory as she took a seat beside her friend. "Xiba managed to go a full three hours without begging for food, and then he ended up collapsing from the hunger."

"Oh my!" Leixia giggled at the sight.

"Yeah. He has a serious condition..." Natsu brought her tale to an end and switched the focus to Leixia. "Anything new with you?"

"Maybe. I don't know," Leixia started off.

"Don't know? What, were you sleeping for a month straight?"

"I wish. No, it's ... Natsu, did you say anything to Maxi?"

"I've said a lot of things to Maxi," she responded, seeming to have forgotten about _the talk_.

"I mean what we talked about the last time we got together. Did ... you didn't say anything to him about that, did you?"

"No, of course not! Your secret's safe with me, Leixia. I woudn't tell anyone."

"Are you sure?" Leixia asked with growing suspicion.

"Yes, I'm sure. I wouldn't lie to you, Leixia. You're my best friend. Is something going on?"

"I'm not sure. He's just been ... a lot more attentive of me lately. Almost like he knows something is up."

"He can probably sense it on you. You know, pheromones."

"No, I mean like ... going out of his way to visit me and ... spend time with me. It's almost awkward."

"Eh? Does your mom know?"

"She knows about the visits. He's _her_ friend," Leixia reminded the ninja.

"Then how can you be sure he isn't visiting to see her?"

"Because he pays more attention to me."

"Oooohhhh," Natsu sings, making Leixia blush faintly.

"You don't think ... do you?"

"Think ... ? No. No way. It's Maxi."

"Are you absolutely, positively..." Leixia starts out, leaning over Natsu until the ninja falls onto the ground, staring back up at her friend, "... certain that you didn't say anything to him?"

"Are you about to kiss me or what?" Natsu teased before shoving Leixia away and answering her question. "I said I didn't say anything."

"...Okay," Leixia seemed convinced in her answer, and sat back down with her bottom on the grass. "I guess I should stop feeling so awkward, then. That won't help tonight."

"What's tonight?" Natsu's curiosity escaped her lips.

"Oh, I have plans with Maxi."

"You ... have plans ... with Maxi? Seriously girl, what does your mom think about all this?"

"She arranged it."

"What?!"

"You don't know my mother like I do, Natsu. She trusts Maxi. He's like family."

"Which makes it even weirder..." Natsu rolled her eyes.

"I know. I can't help it. But it doesn't mean anything. Yeah, I like him, but I know it will never happen, and I'll be okay if it doesn't."

"That's the spirit! So what are you and Uncle Maxi doing?"

"Don't call him that..."

"You're the one who said he was like family!" Natsu reminded Leixia.

"But still, I don't _call _him 'Uncle' ... that's weird. He's not my uncle, you know."

"I know he's not your uncle. I'm just giving you a hard time," Natsu teased before cracking one more joke. "So what are you and Papa Maxi do-"

"Stop that!" Leixia was clearly getting angry at this, and started rapidly throwing slaps at her tormentor.

"Okay, I'm done. I'm done. Promise," Natsu tried to contain her laughter. "Really though, what do you have planned?"

"I don't know. Just ... you know ... spending quality time with people who matter," she answered, and Natsu seemed content with her words.


	6. Guilt

"Natsu..." Xiba mumbled from beside his friend's bed. "Natsu?"

Moments went by and Natsu remained sound asleep, and Xiba figured the best way to get her attention was to shake her. He rested a single hand on her shoulder, and Natsu sprung into life, pumped with adrenaline and drawing her short swords from her. She was fully prepared for battle, and Xiba fell down in his startled state, screaming his innocence.

"Whoa! Natsu! It's just me!" he shouted to her.

"Xiba?! Why are you waking me up in the middle of the night?"

"There's something I need to get off my chest."

"Really Xiba, I thought you said you'd be over it-"

"What? No, this isn't about Leixia. I am over that. Well, kind of. It's kind of about Leixia."

"You really had to wake me up to talk about Leixia? Come on, it's exhausting enough coming from her."

"It's eating me up inside," he confessed, and his stomach loudly agreed. "And now I can't eat. I did something I shouldn't have done, and I owe you an apology."

"At three in the morning?"

"Yes," he insisted, clenching onto his empty stomach. "Ow ... I told Maxi."

It took Natsu a moment to let that sink in, but once it finally did, there was no way she was going to let Xiba off that easily.

"You ... told ... Maxi?!"

"Sorry!"

"Why would you do that?!"

"He bribed me with food! I can't help it!"

"Wait, he bribed you?" Natsu suddenly let her guard down, and left the conversation momentarily and entered deep thoughts. Xiba was unaware of her inattention.

"Yes, Natsu, he bribed me. And I feel horrible for going back on my word. I had to get that off my chest. I'm so sorry."

"He actually bribed you?" Natsu repeated.

"Yes!" Xiba confirmed, still clenching his stomach and almost crying out in pain.

"He really wanted to know that badly?"

"I guess so."

"Xiba! You know what this means, right?!" she left her thoughts and reported back to her starving friend.

"I know, you'll never feed me again," he whimpered.

"Oh, for goodness' sake," Natsu rolled her eyes and opened a small box to the side of her bed, offering what was left of her cold dinner to Xiba, whose eyes widened with delight.

"FOOOOOD!" he cried out.

"I think Maxi has a thing for Leixia, too."

"You fink fo?" the hungry boy questioned. "Ah fink fo. He feemed peavantly furpwived when ah hold him."

"He cared enough to know that he actually bribed you to tell him how she felt," Natsu realized, reflecting back on her earlier conversation with Leixia. "And they have plans tonight!"

"Panf?"

"Swallow your food, pig. And yeah. She's probably with Maxi right now as we speak."


	7. Gambling

"You're awfully quiet, Leixia," Maxi commented as the tense teen sat on his sofa, sipping a beverage offered to her.

"Sorry. It's just ... this is so tasty!" she looked for the quickest excuse for her awkwardness, and it seemed to succeed. She noticed that she had nearly downed it all in her nervous state, reinforcing her excuse. He noticed there was nothing left in the clear glass.

"I have more if you'd like," he offered.

"Oh? Thank you," she kindly accepted as he poured more into her glass, and some more for himself.

"You're quite welcome, Leixia."

"And thank you for having me over. Home gets kind of hectic sometimes."

"I can imagine," he replied as he shifted into a more comfortable and casual position beside the young girl. "Leixia, do you know the real reason I brought you over here?"

"It was my mother's idea, so... she probably wanted the house to herself."

"Wrong! It was my idea."

"It was?" Leixia perked up, curious about his motives. She could feel her nervous heart beating through her skin and just knew that it wasn't possible for Maxi not to hear it.

"There's a rumor going around that I want to clear up. If it's true, it could be in both of our best interest. If it's false, that's alright too. But I have a feeling it's true." He noticed her face turning bright red and hanging down, indicating her guilt. He didn't follow up, but instead allowed her time to speak up.

"You ... talked to Natsu. I can't believe her! She promised me she wouldn't say anything!"

"Don't be upset with Natsu. It was Xiba who ratted you out."

"Xiba knows?!" Leixia panicked, still angry with Natsu for having told Xiba. She stood up, pacing nervously and hiding her angry face from Maxi. "That idiot!"

"Don't be mad at Xiba, either. It was me who bribed him to tell me."

"But still ... Natsu shouldn't have said anything! She lied to me!"

"Why are you so upset? I'm not upset. It might have actually worked in your favor, Leixia," Maxi reminded her subtly, expressing his interest.

"... I'm so embarassed."

"Don't be! Please, don't be embarassed at all," Maxi urged her.

"I can't help it!" Leixia pouted only a second before Maxi's arms reached out to pull her onto his lap and cradle her with his arms.

"It's alright," he calmly insisted as his arms wrapped tightly around her tiny waist. "So, it's true then?"

"Okay, Maxi, let's get one thing straight," Leixia started off as she couldn't help but smile. "Yes, I said some things. Whatever you heard that I said is probably true, but ... at the same time, it doesn't mean anything."

"You've lost me," Maxi confessed as his grip loosened, but she remained on his lap, turning her face to look him in the eye as she spoke.

"Yeah. So I kind of have a teeny tiny crush on you. Can you blame me for that? It's hard not to," she admitted, boosting his ego. A smirk on his face appeared.

"You're right about that!"

"But ... you're Maxi. You're my mom's friend. It's a little weird."

"Why is that weird?"

"Because I've known you for a long time and my mom considers you like family."

"Alright. Tell Uncle Maxi more," he joked, and she wriggled about in his grasp, trying to hit him playfully but he tickles her and she stops, unable to move in her laughter. "Really though, Leixia. I'm open to it, if you are."

It was impossible now for her smile to fade away. She was speechless. She didn't even try to get away. She thought deeply about what it could be like if her secret fantasies had come to reality, but at the same time she knew well that some fantasies are just that - fantasies. And they shouldn't become reality. But as she remained there in his lap, his genuine interest in her became apparent as her bottom was being prodded by something rock hard in his pants. She shifted, only enough to stir up physical sensations in the man, but she didn't try to escape. She only went along with what he had to say.

"Lord Maxi! You're ... so bad."

"I know," he agreed as one hand traveled to her thigh and he planted a light kiss on her cheek. "So ... you'll give me a chance, right? Say yes."

The hand on her thigh began separating her legs, and although her body went along with it, her words did not.

"Ha. Lord Maxi ... If you're trying to get into my pants, I'm not having sex with you."

"I never said that," Maxi brushed off the obvious.

"I may be young but I'm not that stupid. I know what you're up to."

"And yet, you're not trying to leave," Maxi made her realize that she did, in fact, want the same thing. Still, she refused to come to terms with that side of her that had never been unleashed. "In fact, you're not even telling me to stop doing what I'm doing."

"What are you getting at, Lord Maxi?" she asked childishly as her thighs writhed at Maxi's touch.

"Leixia, just call me Maxi, okay? You're far too formal. Now, I have a deal for you, since you seem to be so worked up. A deal you can't say no to."

"A deal? I'm not so sure about that," Leixia had her doubts.

"What do you want if you win the bet?" Maxi let her place her own wager before he announced the details of his bet, to make it fair.

"What is the bet?"

"I'll tell you after you tell me what you want."

"Okay. If I win, you have to let me live with you for free."

"Are you sure about that?" Maxi questioned as his chin rested on the girl's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm sure. And if I lose?"

"If you lose ... you have to be my girlfriend."

"So what are we betting on?"

"I bet that within the next hour, I can give you an orgasm."

"Maxi, I already told you, I'm not having sex with you."

"You think I can't give you an orgasm unless we have sex?" Maxi laughed, certain of his capabilities. "Your innocence is adorable."

"I highly doubt that," Leixia pointed out as Maxi's hand rested firmly between her legs, lightly touching her in her most sensitive areas.

"Okay. If you're right, then you get to live here at no cost. And if you're wrong, you have to be my girlfriend."

"You're serious?" she laughed, somewhat nervously and somewhat happily. She still had her doubts about that.

"Yes," he insisted as his fingers slid underneath her panties. "Either way, you get something nice out of it."

Leixia gasped at his touched and confirmed the deal. "Okay. You're on."

"So it's a done deal, then?" Maxi made his efforts clear.

"Yeah, Maxi, it's a deal."

"Good," he whispered into her ear before nibbling on her lobe, trying to get her as worked up as possible. He kept an eye on the clock, and so did she. At first, it seemed only to distract her, and Maxi had a solution to that. His hand moved from her waist to her eyes, covering them to make her senseless about time. He pulled her closer to him, but her head was still standing on its own. "Do you like this?"

"Kind of."

"Kind of? What do you want me to do?"

"Lose."

"Are you sure?" she said nothing in response. "It's the perfect deal, Leixia. You'll be happy whether you win or lose. So why not just enjoy it?"

As he spoke, his finger reached deeper into her, making her whole body shiver and tense up. Small moans escaped her mouth and Maxi knew he was already on the right path to victory.

"Stop moaning so much, or you're gonna lose," he teased into her ear.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I would," he admits. "Moan for me again."

"Make me," she denied with feisty words that prompted him to slide a finger under her and inside another part of her, while rubbing her clit with the palm of his hand. She didn't moan, but instead gasped at this new sensation. Having her eyes covered only heightened her other senses, as she had no way of knowing what was coming next. He placed gentle kisses on her shoulder, and he moved one hand from her eyes.

"Keep your eyes closed or you lose the bet," he commanded.

"Why?" she inquired, all the while obeying.

"I don't want you distracted by the clock," he answered as he stroked her hair gently. "Keep your eyes closed."

He then ran his hand up and down her waist, hovering over her breasts until sliding underneath her top. Her entire body wriggled from his sensitive touch, and the moment he reached a bare breast, she let out another moan. Her hardened nipple was extremely sensitive to Maxi's fingers as he pinched it lightly, looking for any way possible to stimulate her.

"You've got a great body, Leixia," Maxi commented without much thought.

"Still not having sex with you," she reminded him as her hips involuntarily gyrated against Maxi.

"Don't be too sure about that," he teased while remaining to not push any foul buttons this time. She said nothing, which indicated to him that she wasn't opposed to the idea, probably only a bit timid about her first time. She was tight and she was wet, and her nervosity spoke volumes about her virginity to Maxi. He proceeded with caution and calmed her down. "We don't have to do anything you're not ready for. It's all up to you."

Feeling relaxed and trusting of Maxi's care, Leixia's head fell back onto his shoulder and her mouth fell open at the pleasure of his ravaging finger. Leixia's breasts had been exposed, although for how long she wasn't quite sure, but the chilly air against her nipples made them only harder and a better target for Maxi. Her moans became louder as he pulled his index finger out of her ass and went back to pleasuring her with his long middle finger in her sweet, dripping pussy. She squirmed in pleasure, and Maxi suddenly had a brilliant idea.

Quickly and swiftly, he left her pussy to take out his nunchakus, pressing one end against her moistened entry.

"Maxi, what are you doing?" she gasped when he started penetrating her with it. It was barely inside her.

"Just giving you a taste of what it would be like if we were really together," he smiled as he said this, and pulled his nunchaku out and pushed it in deeper. "Do you like it?"

"It's ... wow. Weird."

"Bad?"

"... No," she sighed as her hips swayed back and forth, pulling the weapon deeper into her until it was almost completely sheathed. Maxi could almost measure the circumference of her vaginal walls by the force it was exerting on his weapon and pushing it out. Tight. Leixia looked like she was about to cry as her hand reached back to Maxi's neck, and he started fucking her harder with it.

His fingers collected her juices, smearing them around her butt and slowly stretching her open. She made noises that seemed a bit fussy to Maxi, but she never once asked him to stop. After circling her hole with her warm fluids enough to lubricate her, he pressed the other half of nunchakus to her, and slowly pushed in.

She tensed up, but accepted Maxi's pleasure in all of its unusual sensations that she would warm up to eventually. It was all the way in both holes now, and Leixia was in such a divine state that she could barely move, aside from her panting breaths.

"Maxi!" she cried out, unable to get release. Maxi looked up at the clock and realized he didn't have much time left. The nunchakus were too big for instant gratification, and he knew she would come more quickly if he just fingered her. And so he did. How soaked she had become, and he knew she was close.

"You're almost there, I can tell."

All she did was let him please her, and moan every time he did something right, which was frequently. She knew she was about to lose the bet, but Maxi had taken her to such heights from which she could never easily get down. She wanted him so badly, and if this was the way he would treat her, then he earned the title of boyfriend. Nothing else mattered, and she would be happy even if she lost the bet.

"You're about to be my girlfriend, how does it feel?" he reminded her, making her aware that he knew she was close.

"Please don't stop," she begged, and he obeyed. " ... Maxi ... ?"

"Yes, Leixia?"

"You're such a meany."

"A meany? Why?"

"You haven't even kissed me yet," she said in a dream-like tone, revealing her desires.

Maxi turned her face to his and ravaged her mouth with his tongue, making her squeal in joy. Within only seconds, only their tongues touched as they danced around each other gracefully, which was her breaking point. That was what put her over the edge. Her insides squeezed tightly on Maxi's finger, and he knew what was happening.

"I win. You're my girlfriend now," he whispered in a sweet tone.

"I'm your girlfriend," the panting girl followed, and Maxi slowed down his finger, leaving it inside her until the clenching stopped for good. He then pulled out of her completely and allowed his new girlfriend to catch her breath. When she finally did, she slid down and rested her head on the arm of Maxi's sofa, looking up at him blissfully. He smiled down at her and caressed her face gently. "You're still more than welcome to live here."

She smiled, almost unable to speak up in her euphoric state. She let the words catch up to her after a while. "Maxi?"

"Yes, Leixia?"

"I have a confession to make."

"What is it?"

"Well ... I guess not so much a confession as a request, but ... not right now, obviously, but ... I think I'm ready for my first time. And I want it to be with you."

"Heh. I knew you'd come around."

Maxi remained in one spot with Leixia's calming body sprawled out blissfully in his lap, with an innocent smile upon her face.


	8. Arrangement

It was a long walk, but Maxi escorted Leixia home in time for dinner, as her mother wished. Xianghua begged her old friend to stay, and Leixia even more so, but Maxi had business to take care of. He promised dinner for another day, and they stopped. He left, but not without sneaking a kiss from Leixia the moment Xianghua turned her attention back to the food. The mother said nothing until she was absolutely certain Maxi was gone.

"Leixia, honey, there's something I need to discuss with you," she started off in a rather depressing tone. She could barely make eye contact with her daughter, and spoke with no enthusiasm or interest in the subject. Leixia grew concerned quickly.

"What is it?" she asked while sitting at the table, focusing on her mother's actions.

"I ... we had a visitor today."

"Oh? Who was it?" Leixia perked up, curious and hoping it wasn't somebody she had missed.

"Someone for you," her mother started, crushing the girl's hopes. Maybe the person would come back. Maybe it was just Natsu. "He introduced himself as Heishiro Mitsurugi. Do you know him?"

"Mitsurugi? The name sounds ... kind of familiar. I might have met him before. What did he want?" Leixia asks, trying to figure it out in her head what he wanted before her mother could tell her. She reached for the small glass of water on the table and quenched her thirst nervously.

"He said you'd make a good wife."

Leixia nearly choked on her water at this remark, but quickly returned to normal. "What? Why would he say that?"

"He insists on marrying you."

"I don't even know him!"

"He's impressed with your battle skills. He said he's looking for someone young, like you, with enough energy to take care of someone his age."

"I don't want to marry a stranger," Leixia insisted, growing angry at the thought.

"I didn't want to marry a stranger either, sweetheart," Xianghua explained, "... but if I hadn't, then you wouldn't be here."

"So you want me to carry a stranger's child?" Leixia quickly snapped.

"I'm not saying that. I'm just saying, maybe you should give it a chance. You never know, this could be a good thing for you."

"I said I don't want to marry a stranger," Leixia repeated in a straightforward manner before hurting her mother. "You of all people should understand that."

"I do. But it isn't up to just me," she told her daughter with underlying tones that placed the blame on her father.

"I'll run away," Leixia concluded aloud.

"Please don't do that," Xianghua begged.

"Why not? I don't even have a say so in this? I can't marry for love?"

"I'm sorry that marriage doesn't work that way," Xianghua sincerely apologized for her daughter's misfortunes. "It's already been arranged by your father."

"Arranged? Without my consent?"

"Leixia, all I'm asking of you is to allow him the chance to know you. Please. If you still feel the same, then we can buy some time to convince your father to change his mind."

"He won't," Leixia predicted.

"Give it time, Leixia. Please. That's all I ask," Xianghua spoke softly to her daughter before approaching her. The teenager's eyes faced downward, ignoring her mother who rubbed her gently on her back. "I want to help you, but you need to cooperate in order for that to happen."

"How is my cooperation going to help? Cooperation is the only thing that is certain for me to be unhappy."

"Give it time," Xianghua repeated. "I will think of something."


	9. First

Leixia ran, and she didn't stop running. There was no speed, no terrain, no weather conditions that would stop her from reaching her destination. With mud up to her ankles and hair soaked in rain, she arrived looking hopeless. Her fingers were cold, and her knuckles nearly tore when she knocked on the cabin door.

"Leixia! What's wrong?" Maxi greeted his unexpected guest, inviting her inside to warm up.

"I'm never going home again! I'm never going back! Ever!" she cried out, sitting in front of the warm fireplace. Maxi grabbed a blanket from the sofa and placed it around her shoulders before taking a seat next to her.

"What happened?" his tone was inviting and his fingers tucked the short hairs on Leixia's head behind her ears. She could barely speak up.

"I don't matter. Nobody will listen. I told her ... I don't want to marry a stranger. That isn't fair. Nobody cares about what I want. I can't do it, Maxi. I just can't."

"Your parents arranged a marriage?!" Maxi gathered, seeming offended. She nodded and he took in a deep sigh before proposing a solution. "Okay. Don't go home then. Like I said before, Leixia ... you're more than welcome to stay here. Even if you lost the bet."

She looked up at him with an innocent but broken smile, and he kissed her. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, Leixia," he softly whispered with a stroke to her cold, damp cheek.

And then, Leixia returned the kiss with tenfold aggression as if desperate to hold on to a love that she would never be allowed to marry. Even if it wasn't exactly love for Maxi that had grown within her. It was close enough. There was comfort, trust, excitement and happiness in Maxi's touch that she knew could never be replicated by another. That same feeling spread throughout her veins that had come to her the last time she was this close to the man. Leixia didn't know how to describe it, nor did she care, but she knew the feeling. It was pure bliss with a longing to freeze time and seize the moment forever that overtook her mind and body. And damned she'd be if she allowed that to slip by so easily.

"You alright?" Maxi asked her when he noticed her shivering. Apparently the fire wasn't enough to undo her condition, but she barely even noticed her physical state. She just wasn't there, until Maxi brought her back to reality.

"I'm just ... so cold."

"Your clothes are soaked, Leixia," he pointed out, unintentionally coming off the wrong way but she didn't seem to care. She stood up and began stripping down to her bare skin before Maxi's eyes. He said nothing, only wrapped her up more tightly in his blanket when her clothes landed on the floor. The blanket, he noticed, was slightly damp from the rainwater on Leixia's clothes, hair and skin.

"There's another blanket," he mumbled, unable to help but become turned on by her physical state, "... a dryer one. In the bedroom." She finished drying off with the damp blanket so as not to get the other one as soaked, and she followed Maxi to the bedroom. She dropped the blanket on the floor and instantly curled up under his warmer, dryer blanket on his nice, soft bed. The goosebumps faded and her bones stopped convulsing, and she questioned her lover when he turned his back.

"Where are you going?"

"To make you some tea. You could use it right now," he didn't even ask if she wanted some. He just knew to take care of her. When he came up several minutes later, she sat up in his bed, seeming to have warmed up a little bit as she revealed herself to him from the waist up.

"Thank you," she said sweetly as she accepted the tea, sipping on it as Maxi sat down beside her in the bed. The cup was small, and she finished it in almost no time.

"Feeling better?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded as her mouth was filled with the last bit of hot liquid. She returned to the bed, making herself comfortable in Maxi's home.

"Stay here as long as you need to. I don't mind at all," Maxi reminded her. She turned to her side and smiled at him, having hidden her body again.

"I've been here for maybe twenty minutes and you've already got me out of my clothes," she joked.

"Is that bad?"

"No, you're on top of your game," Leixia encouraged him. He leaned down to kiss her again, and her arms wrapped around his neck to help savor the moment. His side slipped in underneath the blanket, and Leixia pulled it up over his head with a genuine smile.

Before she knew what was going on, his face disappeared as warm sensations appeared down her body. She watched the top of his blanket move while he was under it, and his gentle touch and lips found their way to her hips. She gasped a pleasant breath, reaching down to stroke his silky hairs as his tongue traced all around her most intimate areas and finally, inside her.

"You keep finding ways to make me feel so good," she pointed out as she moistened at his mouth. "Like nothing else even matters."

"That's the point," he spoke into her skin, causing slight vibrations that drove her wild. "I don't want you to think about anything else tonight. Got it?"

"Aaah, how can I?" the teen half moaned, half giggled as the man kissed her most intimate areas. Her whole body relaxed and then became worked up again when his tongue felt everything between her smooth thighs. He slipped his finger into her and her tiny body trembled in pleasure. Who knew something as small as a finger could have so much control over an entire body? The feeling was unlike no other. In so many ways Maxi had healed Leixia's pain and made her whole.

Leixia wanted to believe that it was love she felt for Maxi. She had become so attached, so quickly, to the physical things he would do for her but there was still a voice in the back of her head calling it lust. Although part of it was a type of love with which she was familiar, she had yet to develop feelings of romantic love for him, even though she wanted it so badly. She wanted to think there was no difference, but she knew better. She could pretend, nonetheless. She could pretend she was in love with Maxi, but only for her own self-gratification. It would remain only a fantasy of hers, at least just for now if the day ever came when it turned into reality. She would never deceive Maxi. To be in love with someone who returned those feelings, and to share that physical intimacy and emotions brought on it from those sensations, was what Leixia desired above all else. And so, she conjured the bravery to give Maxi everything: her mind, her body, her heart.

Her emotions were obvious in her orgasm. It just couldn't wait. Either that, or Maxi was abnormally skilled in what was considered a myth, the female orgasm. But Leixia knew it was real, for she felt it too, even more than Maxi was able to. The thought that her attachment to Maxi could have been a direct result from his ability to help her achieve climax also concerned her but she brushed it aside, telling herself that knowing is half the battle and that she would never mistake lust for love. After all, she had never experienced an orgasm (or any physical intimacy, for that matter) until that night she made a deal with Maxi.

"I wish you could feel what I'm feeling," she blurted out in the throes of her climax, wanting so desperately to return the favor to her lover. If only her body hadn't become numb and paralyzed from the release of hormones her orgasm had given her.

"Is it okay?" Maxi checked before going any further, and Leixia knew what he meant when his body slid back up to hers. She could tell he was ready for her by the bare skin pressed against her legs that was previously covered.

"Yeah," she breathed, nodding at Maxi sweetly as her body prepared for his entry. She was so moistened that he slid right into her, and pleasure pulsated throughout her body and originating from their union that she could barely feel it. She was numb, and okay with that. She only wanted to allow Maxi the privilege of being as physically satisfied as she was, and he was almost there already.

"You're still cumming," he pointed out as her inner walls kept contracting around him. "I'll make this quick so you don't get too sore."

Their lips met as he thrusted into her for the first time, and her hands rested peacefully on his back and underneath his clothing. Her numbness had begun to fade, and she was now on the verge of soreness from Maxi's pounding until finally, he came into her as well.

She said nothing, but she was disappointed. Not in the sensations, but in the longevity of her virginity loss. Although impressed and highly pleased with what Maxi had done, she wished he had fucked her to orgasm.

"Wow," was all he said as he dropped down beside her.

"Yeah," Leixia seconded.

"That was quick. Sorry," he apologized but quickly laughed it off. "You're just so irresistable."

"Ha, you're a sweet talker," Leixia brushed off the second part of his comment.

"No, I mean it."

"Then what took you so long to make your move?" Leixia demanded to know, almost bossy in manner.

"Come on now," Maxi pleaded. "Your age, your mother, it's ... quite obvious."

"Fair enough," Leixia accepted his answer.

"You're so wonderfully naive. I forget your age sometimes. I mean it only makes sense that you would be the first to say something," Maxi continued. "I am pretty tempting, huh?"

"Yeah, and cocky," Leixia teased as she rolled to her side to give him a kiss.

"You know, Leixia... my offer still stands. If you don't want to go back home, you don't have to. I'll keep you safe here. Nobody's gonna mess with me. We can leave first thing in the morning. Anywhere you wanna go, this ship can handle it."

"Thank you," she said after a few moments of silence. She curled up to his chest and followed up with, "... I'm never going back home."

He spoke not another word, only comforted her in her time of need. Only minutes passed before her breathing had changed to a pattern that let on she was no longer awake. When Maxi noticed this, he smiled at her before talking to his sleeping girlfriend in hushed tones.

"Don't do anything you don't want to do, Leixia. Make yourself happy," he told the unaware teenager before giving a kiss to her forehead. "I love you."

Too bad she wasn't awake to hear his honest words.


	10. Retrieval

The nude couple awoke to loud banging on Maxi's cabin door. Leixia moaned in her sleep for the unknown visitor to "Go away..." but Maxi got up to see who it was. Through a window, he could see Natsu and Xiba, who seemed impatient about something. He answered the door, forgetting that he was only wearing pants. Groggily, he stood at the door demanding to know why the two had come to visit him. After all, he and Leixia had plans to leave.

"You two again..."

"Sorry to bother you, Maxi, but we're just wondering if Leixia is here," Xiba explained.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"She took off last night," Natsu informed her mentor briefly and to the point. "I don't know what happened but we thought she'd be here with you. We just want to make sure she's okay and safe."

After carefully evaluating his student, he put his trust in her and told her the truth. "Yeah, she's here."

"Good," Natsu said before shouting for her friend. "Leixia! You gotta go home, girl!"

Maxi quickly covered Natsu's mouth to avoid waking his girlfriend. "She's asleep. Come back later if you wanna see her. Or at least ... keep it down, please. Especially you, Xiba!"

"What did I do?"

"Last time you raided the pantry for food and scared away the fish outside!" Maxi reminded the hungry young boy.

"Sorry, it won't happen again!"

"I just fed him," Natsu explained to Maxi. "He won't starve if you hold your food back."

"Yes I will!"

"Xiba, please," Natsu scolds him again.

"What's all the noise, Maxi?" Leixia made her awakeness known as she peeked out through the bedroom door.

"Nice going. You woke her up. I tell you to be quiet because she's sleeping, and what do you do? You shout and she wakes up. A couple of geniuses, you two..." Maxi ranted to himself as he turned toward Leixia.

"Who's here?"

"Natsu and Xiba."

"What do they want?"

"They wanted to be sure you're okay, because your parents relayed to them that you took off last night."

"Tell them I'll be out in a few minutes. I have to get dressed."

"Leixia," Maxi comments, and she looks up attentively. "Your clothes are out there."

Her cheeks grew red, but Maxi quickly thought of a way around the embarassment. "Xiba, go ahead and help yourself to the pantry."

"Thank you, Maxi!" Xiba sounded like a cocaine addict as he rushed toward the fridge, quickly followed by Natsu.

"Don't overeat again, Xiba. If you throw up on Maxi's floor, I will feed you ground up spinach through a tube for the rest of your life..."

As the two had their backs turned, Maxi swiftly retrieved Leixia's now dry clothing and returned it to her. He then followed the two into the kitchen. "She'll be out in a few minutes."

"Maxi, do you have any more of these?" Xiba inquired as he finished off a container filled with cheeses and meats.

"No, you just ate the last of it."

"You put yourself in this situation," Natsu teased, reminding him that the offer for food was all on him.

"I know. The same goes to you, Natsu."

"I just ate, thanks," she rejected but expressed gratitude for Maxi's generosity. "And after watching his eating habits, I may never eat again..."

Leixia soon exited the bedroom, taking small steps in her sleepy state. "Hi," she greeted, and her friends turned to her.

"Your mother is worried sick!" Natsu scolded her friend. "You need to go home right now!"

"I'm not going home," Leixia rebelled.

"You're just gonna stay with Maxi forever?" the older of the two wondered aloud before stepping closer to her and whispering, "What's going on between you two?"

"We're getting ready to leave, okay?" Leixia told her. "I don't want to go home. I'm not respected there. Maxi wants to help me, so why are you trying to interfere?"

"Because your father is very close to having Maxi arrested for kidnapping."

"Whoa, whoa whoa!" Maxi interrupted. "I didn't kidnap Leixia, let's get that straight. She chose to be here of her own free will. I didn't even know she was coming here."

"I know that, Maxi, but it makes no difference to him," Natsu replied.

"Well if that's how it is, I'd like to see him arrest me in the middle of the sea," he indirectly challenged the man as he prepared to set sail. "You ready, Leixia?"

"Yes," she responded.

"Good. Xiba, you're gonna have to learn how to fish, because we won't be on land again for quite some time."

"Fine by me!" he carelessly shouted with a mouthful.

"Not fine by me!" Natsu argued. "I don't want to set sail with you!"

"Then get off my ship," Maxi laughed.

"Not without my best friend!"

"Sorry Natsu, I already told you, I have no interest in returning home."

"And if Maxi leaves the dock with me on board, my parents will have him arrested too!" Natsu warned. "You're really going to regret this."

"Stop," Leixia requested.

"I don't care, Leixia. They can come after me if they want, but we all know how that's going to end."

"I don't want you in any trouble. None of this is your fault," Leixia's guilt spread over her.

"I know it's not. But does that mean I have to make you go back?"

"What is even going on?" Natsu wanted to know.

"You mean they didn't tell you?" Leixia wondered.

"Tell me what? Leixia, whatever it is, we're here to help, one hundred percent of the way."

"I ... soon ... will be married," she spit out those bitter words. "To someone I've never met. And I don't want that. I don't even have a say so in the situation. My parents won't listen to me. They don't even care. Because I'm a girl and I'm fifteen, I don't matter."

"Of course you do," Maxi reminded her. "Listen, Leixia ... your mother and I go way back. I'll have a talk with her."

"You can try but she says the marriage was already arranged," she informed him.

"Wait, this marriage..." Natsu quickly remembered, "... is it to a man named Mitsurugi?"

"Yes, why?"

"He's coming over for dinner."

"Yeah, not going back. Maxi, set sail," Leixia changed her mind.

"As you wish!"

"No, don't you dare!" Natsu warned.

"Natsu, I'm not so much concerned about your safety. This is Leixia's problem. And like I said, if you don't want to leave, then get off my ship."

"Uughghhhh," Xiba moaned with a bloated belly, clearly having overeaten again.

"What's wrong with you now, Xiba?" Natsu rolled her eyes as the boy curled up on the floor.

"My stomach..." he moaned. "I can't eat another bite."

"You'll change your mind in about three minutes," Natsu expressed her doubts and turned to face Leixia again.

"I feel sick."

"Well why did you eat so much?!"

"Because I was hungry!"

"Then it's all your fault you're sick!"

"No, I get seasick! Maxi, don't take off!"

"Xiba," Maxi angrily shouted, "You said you were fine with this!"

"I did? Sorry, I was distracted by food!" the boy replied.

"Guys," Leixia held her friends' attention. "You win. I'll just go back, and tell them, if they expect me to marry a stranger, I am no longer their daughter. But..."

"But what?" Xiba piped up.

"Will you please be there with me? I could use the moral support."

"Yes, of course!" they all seemed to instantly agree with one another, and Maxi rested on the final idea of not setting sail just yet.

"But if they still have a problem with it, Natsu, don't follow us back here, because we will leave, with or without you."

"Fair enough," she agreed, and Xiba stumbled on his run to the deck, where he emptied the contents of his stomach into the sea. "Xiba, let's go!" she shouted when the purge ended, and he followed her, picking up one last bite to eat from the table on the way.

"Xiba, you just ate! You're such a piggy," Leixia commented when she noticed this. Natsu slapped the food out of his hand, and it fell onto the floor.

"Natsu's trying to kill me!" Xiba whined as he bent over to pick up his food.

"No!" Natsu insisted, pointing a finger in his face and giving him a stern look. "You'll eat dinner tonight at the palace. Not another bite until then."

"But-"

"No buts! Just be quiet," Natsu commanded her friend, and they took their leave. "You're such a pain..."


	11. Danger

Xiba stared nervously at his plate, and the others at the table. He wanted so desperately to devour everything in sight, but knew that he had nobody's approval as they awaited their guest. He sat between Natsu and Leixia, who kept glancing at each other as if the looks on their faces were enough to distract a tense Leixia. Underneath the round table, Leixia's hand met Maxi's and they exchanged squeezes of nervosity. Beside Maxi sat his old friend, Xianghua, who would be seated next to Mitsurugi, who would be next to Natsu. She felt it wasn't her place to be the one directly beside him, but she made no comment. Their meals were already placed.

Finally, a strange man entered the room, remaining on his feet as he glanced about the room. "Is this everyone?"

"Yes, I'm sorry my husband couldn't be here tonight, but I understand the two of you have already spoken," Xianghua confirmed before standing up and showing the guest to his seat, which he accepted with gratitude as he thanked her.

"Leixia, honey, this is your guest, Mitsurugi," Xianghua introduced, but Leixia stared at the table.

"Hello, Leixia," Mitsurugi greeted in a friendly manner, but she rejected his presence nonetheless.

"Leixia, don't be rude," her mother urged.

"Please don't be so hard on her," Natsu broke the tension and gained Xianghua's attention. "She doesn't want to do this. Telling her not to be rude isn't going to help. She has to warm up to this in her own way. It can't be forced."

"Absolutely," Mitsurugi agreed with the blonde. "Maybe you might feel differently if I explain my situation to you."

Still, no response was heard from Leixia.

"Please do," Maxi spoke for his girlfriend.

"It would be my honor..." Mitsurugi trailed off before Maxi realized what he was trying to say: his name.

"Maxi. _Captain_ Maxi," he introduced himself with hostility before doing the same for the others. "Natsu and Xiba."

"Hello," he nodded to the teens before looking back at Leixia, who still did not return the attention. "As I have already explained to your parents, your skills in battle are quite impressive."

"My battle skills are my mother's. You should praise her, not me," she spoke to the table.

"But it takes true strength, discipline, and energy to master a set of skills. Even if they are not yours."

Natsu's hands crawled under the table and she mimicked her friend's inattention. Both girls stared at their own laps now. Only Xiba seemed to notice this, as he sat in between the girls. Xianghua kept her attentive eyes on her future son-in-law, while Maxi exchanged glances at Mitsurugi and Leixia. Xiba caught a glimpse of motion under the table, and upon realizing that Natsu was up to something, decided to look back at Mitsurugi and avoid drawing unnecessary attention to his ninja friend.

"She is quite amazing, isn't she?" Maxi perked up, snapping Leixia out of her lap stare. "In fact, I'm willing to bet money that she could defeat you in battle."

"Maxi, don't! I have no interest in fighting or marrying you," Leixia quickly shifted her attention from her boyfriend to her future husband.

"He is right, though," Mitsurugi added. "Maybe not today, but ... as you can see, I'm not so young anymore. Soon, my bones will be unable to support me for the battles I endure. My wounds will not heal so easily. I have much to protect and it would benefit me if I were to have a young, energetic wife to accompany me."

Natsu's hand slipped onto Xiba's thigh under the table, startling him. He had unintentionally drawn a small amount of attention in his jerk, and so he waited for eyes to leave him before looking down. Her hand was dangerously close to somewhere it shouldn't have been, but out of the corner of his eye he could see that she was pressing something against him, a small white object, paper maybe - that she wanted him to see. Eyes shifted, and he glanced down. Sure enough, it was paper. It was a note. In all capital letters was written one word: DANGER.

Xiba's heart raced, as he knew not what in particular this message could mean. However, he trusted Natsu's judgement and understood it was a simple statement about the stranger across the table. When he looked back up, Natsu removed her hand carefully to avoid suspicion and ensure that the message would remain on his lap. He understood why she did this. She was trying to warn Leixia.

"I still am not interested," Leixia stated coldheartedly.

"I understand," Mitsurugi accepted her words. "I am in dire need of companionship for my travels."

"I'm not very travel-friendly," she argued.

"Which is why I am prepared to make an offer. The deal has already been settled by your father, but I do wish for this to be worth it to you as well."

Xiba awkwardly forwarded the note to Leixia. Maxi caught a glimpse of his hand invading her thigh and gave him a threatening look, but Xiba paid no attention. He kept his eyes on Mitsurugi. Maxi couldn't help but look down at Xiba's hand, which quickly retreated to reveal the message. Maxi read it in one glance and looked at Xiba, then Mitsurugi. Again, Xiba paid no attention to Maxi but Natsu stared him straight in the eye. He knew it was her message.

"Whatever you are prepared to offer me, I assure you I am not interested," Leixia insisted with rolled eyes and exaggerated motions that led to her eyes landing on the note in her lap. She looked suspiciously around for clues about the note, but realized that she herself was being suspicious. "You don't understand. I want to marry for different reasons than most do. I'm sorry, but whatever deal my father made with you does not stand with me."

Not saying another word, she rose from her chair, ending the night for all. Without hesitation, Maxi followed her, mumbling something about how he should "make sure she's alright." And so to her room he followed her.

"She'll be fine," Natsu insisted. "I'm sure she'll be back down in no time."

Xiba stared at his food before him, watching the steam rise from the cooked rice. He needed not say a word to Natsu.

"Go ahead," she told him, sensing his hunger, and he did. She then turned to Xianghua. "May I speak with you about something ... private?"

"Private?" Xianghua was instantly confused, but accepted the confidentiality in her daughter's best friend, even if her own daughter was upset with her. Natsu stepped into another room, and Xianghua followed her closely while leaving Xiba to finish his plate instead of speaking to Mitsurugi. "What's the matter?"

"That man is dangerous. Leixia can't marry him," Natsu rushed before her best friend's mother could interrupt her defense. "And I'm not saying this because she doesn't want to. I'm really concerned about her safety, so if you care at all about her well-being you won't let her marry him."

"Dangerous? What are you talking about?" Xianghua inquired in a hushed tone.

"You're probably going to think this is crazy, but please hear me out," Natsu begged as Xianghua looked her straight in the eye, giving her full attention to Natsu's message. "I believe he may know the whereabouts of Master Taki. And I don't really want to go into detail about it, but he has something that belongs to her, and that's all I can say."

"Taki? She's been missing for a long time, hasn't she?" Xianghua remembered.

"Yes, and now I think I may have a lead on her. But ... just keep in mind, please, that whatever he's done to her, he won't hesitate to do the same to Leixia."

"I trust you, Natsu. I'll figure out a way to stop it," she promised the girl, who turned around with a "thank you" forming on her mouth.

When Xianghua and Natsu returned to the dining room, they found Xiba alone with an empty plate before him.

"Where is he?" Xianghua demanded to know.

"He's outside," Xiba answered. "Probably felt the tension and didn't want to cause any trouble. By the way, your cooking is amazing."

"Thank you," Xianghua accepted the compliment.

"You're very welcome," he smiled piggishly at the woman.

"I'll check on Leixia," Natsu narrated, leaving Xiba alone with Xianghua.

"Xiba?" Xianghua spoke up.

"Huh?"

"I need you to be watchful of Leixia. Natsu has just informed me of Mitsurugi's danger. Please keep her safe until I can devise a plan to protect her.

"Why does she have to marry him?' Xiba asks, confused.

"Because her father already arranged it. Mitsurugi has already given the key to his weapon forge to her father. It's a done deal, unless we can find a loophole."

"There's always a loophole. Have her marry someone else. I'll do it."

"Please! Anything!"

"Really?"

"Just kidding."

"I'm serious," Xiba stated.

"No."

"Are you even listening to me?" he asked as he reached for another biscuit, almost devouring it in one bite. "I'm offering a perfectly reasonable solution to the problem, so I'm not sure why you won't take it up. You must not be as concerned about her safety as I am."

"Don't ever say that. There are reasons why I can't allow you to marry my daughter."

"Such as?"

"You're too young."

"I'm older than she is!"

"Yes, but it's common practice for women to marry older men. Just because you're older than she is doesn't mean you're old enough to be married to her."

"That's absurd," Xiba argued. "Please let me do this. She's my friend. Wouldn't you rather marry her off to someone you know and trust, than a stranger who has already been deemed dangerous?"

"I plan to call off the wedding, Xiba. However you can't be the one to marry her and get her out of this."

"Why not?! Do you doubt me for some reason? I mean I know I'm young and all, but isn't the purpose of this whole marriage deal to just get her out of marrying a psychopath? Why does any of it matter? Just let me do it. It makes no difference to me who she marries, but do you see anyone else here offering to get her out of this?"

"Xiba, please trust me. You can't marry her. But thank you for your offer. I'm sure Leixia would be grateful enough to have someone willing to go that far to protect her. She is blessed to be your friend and because of that, you will always be family to me. But please understand that there are reasons I cannot explain that would hinder you from marrying her."


	12. Kiss

"Leixia?" Natsu gently opened the door to her best friend's bedroom, expecting to barge in on the middle of a lovefest, but was surprised to find the two simply sitting on the edge of her single bed.

"If you're here to try to talk me in to filling my parents' wishes, go away."

"I'm not! I'm on your side here, Leixia."

Leixia looked up at the blonde, who then took a seat beside her best friend on the side opposite of Maxi. The bride to be was now sandwiched between her boyfriend and best friend.

"I just wanted to explain the note and make sure you understand."

"Yeah, what was that all about?" Maxi's curiosity made itself apparent before Leixia could respond.

"Well, obviously ... that man is dangerous. If you can't find a way to get out of this marriage, you need to run away. If it comes to it, Maxi, set sail and don't ever come back."

"You ... know that man?" Leixia wondered aloud.

"Not exactly. But please trust me. You're my best friend and I don't want the same thing happening to you..." Natsu nearly teared up, although she wasn't sure what she was upset about. She didn't know what this 'thing' was that happened, only that all signs pointed to disaster. Without explaining any further, she fled down the stairs with lightning speed and quickly found herself outside.

"And ... watch him go," Xiba commented on Mitsurugi's shadow walking down the street.

"Xiba! I ... didn't see you there."

"Obviously."

"Where is he ... is he leaving?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure if he's coming back or not. Way too much hostility," Xiba pointed out. "I think he's going home."

"How long do you think it would take to walk down that mountain?" Natsu asked Xiba, keeping an eye on the man from afar.

"Maybe ... an hour," he figured.

"Good, so there's time," she commented, confusing Xiba.

"Time for what?"

"To explain the note," Natsu prepared to tell the whole truth to someone, as she had not yet dared to do with Xianghua, Leixia, or Maxi. "I saw something on him."

"What did you see?"

"It was a pendant he was carrying. It belonged to Master Taki. I couldn't possibly be mistaken. I know for a fact that that pendant was one of a kind, because I made it myself. I crafted it personally as a gift for Master Taki, and somehow he has it. That can only mean one thing."

"He knows her whereabouts," Xiba understood every word out of Natsu's mouth.

"So you understand what I have to do..."

"... Are you planning on killing him? That would make perfect sense. You'd be killing two birds with one stone, that's for sure. You'd get your revenge and your best friend wouldn't have to marry him."

"... No, that's not it. I mean, maybe ... once he leads me to Master Taki. Then I can do as I wish."

"You know ... there is a loophole to this entire situation. He can't marry her if she's already married. I ... I don't know if it was the right thing to do, but I offered to take his place."

"You what?!"

"I know, I know, I know. It's weird. But ... if it means saving Leixia, I'll gladly do it."

"Did you tell her mother?"

"She said no."

"What?! Why?!"

"I don't know. I don't think she trusts me."

"But she trusts a dangerous stranger," Natsu pointed out angrily.

"Exactly."

"You know, Xiba," Natsu went on, still following Mitsurugi with her eyes. "I think it was very noble of you to make the effort. To spare your friend from potential danger. But ... I'll take care of him myself, once he leads me to wherever Master Taki is."

He didn't know what to say in response, and couldn't have prepared himself for what was next.

"I'm ... really going to miss you," Natsu confessed reluctantly, letting on that she would be parting for an indefinite period of time.

"Miss me? You're leaving?!"

"I have to. You understand, right?"

"Well ... of course I understand. Not saying I'm happy to see you go ... please don't get hurt or killed," he awkwardly expressed his concern for Natsu.

"I won't. But ... in case something does, and if for some reason, I don't make it back-"

"Natsu, don't talk like that-"

"In case I never get this chance again-"

"Natsu!" Xiba interrupted once more, trying to stop her from saying the worst, but that was all she had to say. She couldn't possibly finish what she had to say with words, for there were none. Xiba understood this when Natsu pushed him toward the side of the palace, hiding the both of them in the shadows, where they shared their first kiss. Xiba was a bit taken by surprise when her lips forced her way onto his, but he didn't mind. It was unusual, the sensation of something other than food on Xiba's lips. It was new and exciting. His mouth was always so busy, the thought of kissing another human being was simply nonexistent.

And with Natsu! The swift motions of her lips, and her hands against his neck in the chilly night air was just unbelievable. Xiba knew he had to be dreaming. He just knew. This was so unexpected, and so wonderful. She tasted just like the ramen Xianghua had prepared for the dinner, although she had barely consumed any of it. Or maybe he was just tasting it on himself. Nevertheless, he couldn't let go of the moment.

His arms wrapped around her tiny body and pulled her closer to him. He returned the kiss as she began pulling away, keeping her interest. She wasn't ready to leave just yet, now that he had returned the kiss. Hopefully, this wasn't a mistake, but even if it was, her soul would never rest at peace if she had never made an attempt with Xiba at the very least.

But that was it. The moment he returned the kiss, the moment he touched her, the moment his face pivoted around her nose and his hands ran up and down her back, was the moment she knew she would make it back alive. This was Natsu, the ninja, and she had someone worth fighting for. There just was no way she would allow herself to perish without returning.

However, the clock was ticking. She couldn't stay in this moment forever. In fact, she knew that the sooner it ended, the sooner she could complete her mission. It was a strange feeling to Natsu, being pushed by time and swimming in its current instead of against it. This was the drive she needed. Maybe it was just the adrenaline rush doing its job, but she reached a new level of confidence in herself that would ensure her success.

And she had to do this for everyone. For returning to Xiba, for avenging Taki's fate (whatever that may have been), and for sparing Leixia from the hands of Mitsurugi. This was the last boost of confidence that she needed for this mission, and the most effective.

She only hoped that if it was the adrenaline rush, that it wasn't clouding her judgement.

Their foreheads pressed together when the kiss ended, and they could barely notice bright smiles on each other's faces in the darkness.

"That was nice," Xiba mumbled.

"That wasn't bad. It wasn't great, but hey."

Xiba seemed offended, and let out a rough exhale that cut off abruptly. "I thought it was!"

"Relax, Xiba. I'm just teasing you," she quickly corrected the situation before returning to his lips one more time. "There was just no way I could leave without doing that."

"I'm glad you did it," Xiba choked up nervously, but happily.

And just like that, she was out of his reach. "I'll be back," she promised with a smile.

"Natsu, wait!" Xiba begged, extending an arm to the blonde ninja who disappeared in an instant the moment she let off a smoke bomb.


	13. Monk

Xianghua walked about the market nervously and without desire, planning a second, and hopefully successful dinner with Mitsurugi and Leixia. She spent close to an hour on the streets and still didn't buy anything, as the stress had gotten down to even her simple decision making. She couldn't even choose between red apples or green.

"You look like you're having a hard time planning your meals," a familiar voice approached Xianghua, and when she turned around she was so embarassed that her face retreated back to the merchandise.

"I just can't get it right, no matter what I try," she answered without looking at the man, worried that old feelings which never truly went away would resurface and wreak havoc on her life.

"You were always a good cook," he complimented her, and a smile formed on the woman's face.

"Thank you, Kilik," addressed, still too nervous to look him in the eye. "Unfortunately it's..."

"It's what?" he questioned when her voice trailed off, and he began inspecting the food as if it was the source of her indecisiveness.

"Nothing," she regretted speaking up, and tried her hardest to ignore the butterflies that resurrected within her stomach.

"I'm not stupid, Xianghua. I know when something's wrong, even if we haven't spoken in years."

He was right, and eventually she turned around. He always had this way with her, and she knew it would lead to nothing good. At least from someone else's perspective.

"It's been a while, Kilik. I don't want to encounter you at the market like this and go into my life story about everything that's a mess. You should just forget you even saw me here."

"But now I'm curious," he admitted, still not expecting to just encounter his former lover in a market like this. "You can't just walk around with that frown on your face and expect nobody to ask you what's wrong."

"My ... husband," she started off reluctantly, wishing there was no such word that she could claim as her own, "... has done something incredibly foolish."

"Anyone who does something foolish enough to cause you pain doesn't deserve the joy you bring to others."

"He arranged a marriage for our daughter. She's to marry a dangerous man and I don't know how to stop it."

"How dangerous?"

"I'm not sure. Kidnapping, murder maybe. All I know for sure is that he's involved in someone's disappearance. We all want to call it off, but my husband has already sealed the deal. Unless we're able to find a loophole... Maxi agreed to take care of her and hide her from him. But even then, that puts Maxi at risk. My husband already threatened to have him arrested for kidnapping when Leixia ran off and ended up on his ship."

"Maxi would never kidnap a friend's child!" Kilik was quick to defend.

"You're right. He wouldn't. I trust him completely, but ... my husband, not so much."

"I wish I could help you somehow," Kilik said with emptiness in his heart.

"Hey, I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"Sorry if this is a bit ... out of line. I know it might come off as inappropriate, but ... is there any way you would maybe like to come over for dinner and help us strategize?"

"You actually want my help?"

"You said you wished you could. I don't know what else to do, who else to turn to. Even if all you can do is just evaluate his character and help me figure out a way to negotiate with him ... anything. Please."

Kilik looked Xianghua in the eyes and felt her pain. She had already felt pain and heartache before when she was forced into leaving the man before her, and that pain never went away. Her scars were obvious even if she hid them under an entire wardrobe. There was no way he would allow her to suffer like this again. He was unable to say no, for so many reasons.

Instead of saying yes, he helped her shop. "Let's get the red ones. The green ones are sour. If we want this to go smoothly, we don't want to make our guest's face pucker up."


	14. Loophole

Xianghua led Kilik home, nervous about the thought of being alone with him after all these years. But still, after everything the couple had gone through, he was still willing to help her in her time of need. For this, she was eternally grateful, and still wished she could start over with her life.

"So this is where you live now?" Kilik commented as he helped Xianghua carry her groceries inside, surprised to find Maxi, Leixia and Xiba all home.

"Yes..." Xianghua confirmed, feeling her heart sink upon seeing others in her home. She reminded herself that it didn't matter, that nothing could make it acceptable for the two to be together, ever again.

"Mom, Xiba has a plan," Leixia greeted, ignoring Kilik's entrance.

"Does he, now?" she returned, setting her bags down on the table and glancing toward Xiba.

"I know I've brought it up before, but I think you should hear me out," he begs as he rummages through fresh groceries.

"The answer is still no, Xiba."

"Wait, you already talked about it?" Leixia seemed surprised. "Why didn't anyone tell me yet? What is it?"

"It doesn't matter, sweetheart. It won't work."

"Why not?" Xiba begged to know.

"Why won't what work?" Leixia spat out, nearly tongue-tied. Xiba turned to face her and explained what he had already discussed with Xianghua.

"I told her there is a loophole in marriage contracts. That he can't marry you if you're already married. I offered to marry you instead."

"Marry _you_?" she cracked up at the thought, but quickly apologized for her rude behavior. "I mean, thank you, really, for the kind offer. I appreciate it. Sorry I laughed. I mean no offense."

"None taken. I know it seems like a joke, but I'm only trying to help you out."

"I know. Well ... it's not the most preferred solution but ... yeah, why won't that work?"

Maxi rolled his eyes and turned around, seeming agitated by the direction of the conversation. Xianghua had a blank look on her face that indicated guilt over something she just couldn't bring herself to admit.

"Yes, it seems perfectly reasonable to me," Kilik throws out. "Let the boy marry her. Not exactly the most appropriate or efficient marriage arrangement, but at least she'll be safe."

"Thank you!" Leixia looked at Kilik with a smile.

"Please drop it," Xianghua begged, running out of things to say to sway the conversation.

"I'm starting to think you don't care about her as much as I do," Xiba blurted out the honest truth of what the situation seemed to him. "It's a perfectly reasonable solution, so either take it or prepare to hand her off to a killer."

"It's not that simple, you two," the frustrated mother insisted.

"Is there a reason I can't help?" even Kilik offered, but Xianghua quickly gave him a death stare and raised her hand to her neck, moving sideways as if to silence him.

"Why not? She's my friend. Friends do nice things for each other, help each other out. You know she'd be safe with me," Xiba explained.

"Or me," Kilik contributed.

"Yeah, if anything, I'll just have to learn how to cook in all my spare time," Leixia seemed to agree, and Maxi grew even more agitated. His palm met his forehead and his stance was similar to that of someone suffering a migraine headache.

"There's absolutely no reason to say no. You're acting like she's my sister or something, with all this 'no, drop it, you can't get married' attitude." As he spoke, Xianghua's gaze slowly found its way to the floor. Kilik's eyes widened as he noticed Xiba's weapon resting in the corner of the dining room, and his comment. Xiba didn't pick up on the shift in attitudes until he was finished speaking, though. "It's not that crazy of an idea. I'm not dangerous, I'm not shady, and I'm not related, so WHY NOT?!"

Silence filled the room for moments that seemed to last for an eternity. Xiba's head shook as if his body realized the truth before his mind.

"I said, I'm not dangerous ... I'm not shady ... and I'm not ... related." He studied Xianghua's expression carefully, and then Kilik's.

"Mom?" Leixia mumbled to her distant mother.

"It can't be..." Kilik nearly collapsed at the manner of which this truth had come about.

Ashamed, Xianghua's eyes began forming tears as the only thing she could think to do was apologize. "I ... I'm sorry it had to come out this way."

Maxi turned around, fascinated by the direction the conversation had taken.

"You..." Leixia was at loss for words as she looked at her mother, and then her ... brother, apparently. It still didn't seem right. This had to be some strange dream brought on by stress. After all, no girl has three men wanting to marry her at the same time. "No. That's crazy. Have you been drinking?"

"No," Xianghua confessed.

Kilik was also at words. He only sighed as he tried to form the words. "Sixteen?"

"What was that?" Xiba asked.

"Sixteen. You're sixteen years old, aren't you?"

"...Yes."

Kilik didn't know how to feel. He wanted to smile; he had a son. He wanted to cry; he had missed so much in his son's life. He wanted to laugh; the thought of him being a father was ludicrous. He wanted to shout; Xianghua had lied to him. He wanted to walk away; Xianghua had betrayed him. He wanted to sit down; this was a lot to take in. He wanted to remain silent; Xianghua had hurt him. He wanted to sleep; he didn't want to deal with this today.

Who could have possibly predicted a trip to the market could have ended with a surprise teenage son?

"Twins?" he asked.

"Fifteen," Leixia corrected at the same time Xiba said the same, pointing toward her with his head.

"Wow. Kilik. Buddy," Maxi's playful attitude was neither welcome nor appropriate. "You two ... have a son and you never even told me? How'd you pull that one off? I mean we've been friends for as long as I can remember, and you're gonna keep _that_ a secret from me? And here I thought you trusted me."

"It's not like that," Xianghua insisted.

"Not like what, Xianghua?" Kilik demanded to know. "You disappeared from my life ... while carrying my child! And you didn't even bother to tell me?"

"I didn't have a choice, Kilik! If it were up to me, we'd still be together!" she blurted out, causing tension throughout the room. "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate. I shouldn't have said that. Especially not in front of..."

"Oh, I can't take it anymore!" Maxi complained, which helped to draw attention from his smitten friends. "How long am I gonna have to stand here and just wait for someone to point out the obvious?"

Everyone looked at Maxi with a different expression. Xianghua, with tears in her eyes; Kilik, with a stern look on his face that hid his pain; Xiba, with an irritated look that suggested this was a horrible time, and Leixia, with sheer confusion.

"What is it now, Maxi?" Xianghua answered him.

"Nobody thinks about Maxi," he mumbled, but not to himself. "Nobody has thought to consider maybe I would be willing to marry Leixia. I'm a bit offended, you guys. Unless there's something you need to tell me too. I'm not her brother, am I?"

This was clearly not a joking matter, but nobody said anything to argue this. There was no reason; he was old enough to be her father. Of course he wasn't her brother.

"I really was hoping someone else would suggest it just to boost my ego, but come on guys. I'm the perfect candidate. And you know what? You're clearly not in the right mindframe to even be making decisions right now, so this one's on me." He turned to Leixia and held on to her hand, continuing to walk away from the others. "Come on, Leixia. Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"We're getting married."

"Um, are you joking?" Leixia's doubt became apparent, as she had no idea what was even going on anymore. This was the fourth marriage proposal. "Because if you are, now isn't the time, Maxi."

"Do I look like I'm joking? Come on, unless you want to end up on a missing persons poster."

"Wait," Leixia whispered once out of ear range from the others. "You ... would really do this for me?"

"Why wouldn't I? Leixia, I ... I care about you very deeply. And I always have. Whether you realize this or not, we've been family your entire life. I knew your mother since before you were born, and I can't just sit back and let my friends ... my family, stay in turmoil. And besides .. it's only fitting that if you have to get married, it might as well be to your boyfriend."

"Nobody else thinks that way!"

"This isn't about anybody else. This is about you. Take those cultural norms and throw them in the trash, because what they want isn't what works for you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, simply that ... it doesn't make sense to develop relationships and feelings if it's all going to be torn apart by something that pops out of nowhere. What would be the point in having emotions? Emotions are part of who we are. It doesn't change just because laws do, or because of society. Emotions have to come first. Look at your mother. Isn't it obvious she was meant to be with Kilik? And that never happened because she was forced to marry someone else. They could have been so happy together. I always envied their relationship. They really had everything. I want what they had. I want you to have it, too. So why not ... Leixia, will you marry me or what?"

"That wasn't very romantic," Leixia commented on his tone.

"Yeah, well, we're crunched for time. What do you expect? A ring? Here," he mumbled as he pulled one from his pocket, seeming prepared for the moment. "I know I don't even have to ask. I know the answer is yes. Just agree with me."

"Maxi! ... Did you plan this?"

"What? No. Of course not," he laughed it off before aggressively pulling on Leixia's hand, fitting the gold ring to it perfectly.

"Yes you did!" she saw straight through his embarassed lie.

"Look, Leixia..." Maxi sighed. "You've got four men wanting to marry you right now, and you certainly can't marry your brother, his father, or the murderer. So really, you have to marry me if you want out of this."

"So you're my only option?"

"Well, I would hope I'm the only option in your mind. I _am_ your boyfriend."

"Fiancé," Leixia corrected, feeling foolish over having not yet said yes.

"What?" Maxi wasn't expecting to hear this word just yet, and was slightly off guard.

"Fiancé," she repeated. "That means yes. I'll marry you. But not because I have no options. Because I want to."

"Great! Let's go share the news and we can put this all behind us," Maxi urged without even waiting for Leixia to follow him. "Excellent news, everyone, as Captain Maxi predicted. We're getting married. So you can tell this Mitsurugi guy that he's invading someone else's marriage. Who's coming to the wedding?"

"You're seriously going to be the one to marry my daughter?" Xianghua almost laughed it off, but quickly noticed the jewelry on her hand.

"There's a ring and everything. He's totally serious," Leixia told her.

"Maxi... thank you," Xianghua was at a loss for words.

"Oh please. It's the least I could do for her. Come on, we're all friends, right? Don't thank me. Just be there at our wedding."

"When and where? It has to be really soon, you know," Xiba told his future brother-in-law.

"Uh, let's see, wherever the nearest temple is, and ... right now.

"What? Really?" Leixia asked as she hurried behind Maxi.

"This is all so strange," Kilik commented as the bride and groom walked out, alone. "Haven't seen either of you in almost two decades, and when I finally do, Maxi's marrying your daughter. My son's sister."

The three of them let Maxi and Leixia leave on their own, and Xiba didn't know how to interact with his ... parents. He sat down and immediately started nervously eating the raw products his ... mother ... had brought home. Nobody said anything about his strange behavior.


	15. Again

Little did Xianghua realize that the marriage deal with Mitsurugi would end with Xiba just outside the palace. He knew what he was expecting. She appeared suddenly before him while the victim of her stalking was inside speaking with her best friend's mother, reclaiming his property. Xiba's face lit up when he saw her, and she could tell he was expecting her. He wasn't as unkempt as usual.

"Hi," she said in a flirty tone, and he greeted her in the same tone. "Waiting for me?"

"Why else would I be out here?" he joked, and before he knew it, the two fell naturally into another kiss. They were already addicted to each other's lips, as if neither had ever been kissed before. And for all they knew, maybe that was the case. "Is your stalking bit done?"

They sat on the ground with their backs against the exterior wall of the home, sitting back comfortably during their brief visit.

"No way! I still haven't found Master Taki yet."

"Well the good news is, you don't have to kill him for Leixia's sake. She married Maxi already. They're calling off the deal as we speak."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Natsu expressed joy for her friend's relief.

"Which makes Maxi my brother-in-law now," he tried out those words.

"Brother-in-law?" Natsu repeated, understanding his words but not believing it.

"Yeah. Turns out ... found out in not exactly the most pleasant way ... believe it or not, we share a mother. Leixia and I. It's still weird to think about it. Like I just don't know how to accept it as truth."

"Your sister?" Natsu spoke, remembering the time when Xiba had asked her to dig information on her regarding her romantic interest in him. She didn't bring it up, though. "You wanna know something? If I found out Leixia was my sister, I'd be so happy about that. I love that girl. This doesn't mean anything has to change, you know. Only that the bond between you is stronger."

"I suppose you're right about that," Xiba agreed.

"I'm kind of jealous though, I have to admit."

"Sorry. I'll share her with you, how's that?" Xiba offered.

"Okay," Natsu rolled her eyes playfully at the boy before leaning in for another kiss. "I really, really missed that."

"Yeah? So did I."

"I wish I could just take you with me," Natsu confessed as she rested her head on Xiba's shoulder.

"Please do!" Xiba shouted uncontrollably.

"It's not safe," she warned.

"I can handle a little danger."

"Stay here for me, okay? I won't be able to focus on my mission if I'm constantly worrying about you. It'll get done quicker if you stay here."

"Uuuhhhgggghhh! Fine," Xiba complained.

"You're so cute when you whine," Natsu teased him, poking his face with her finger. "Like an oversized baby."

"Oh, stop that, Natsu! I feel insulted now."

"Sorry."

"It's cool."

"So ... they're still in there discussing matters," Natsu pointed out.

"Yes ... they are."

"Let's make out until the deal is over."

Xiba couldn't even say, "Okay!" between the time she finished her suggestion and when his lips were drawn to hers like a magnet. He faced her sideways until his arms reached around her and pulled her into his lap, with her legs on either side of him. "Natsu, where is this going?"

"Depends how far we can get before Mitsurugi leaves."

"No I mean ... us," he said as he looked up at the girl in his lap, who blushed. She honestly expected it to be obvious and done without words, but she was wrong.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"What, that you want to be my girlfriend?"

"Xiba, I thought you'd never ask," she stated before kissing him again. Was he only attempting to read her mind or did he want it also? She decided she'd put it to the test. "Yes, I would love to be your girlfriend."

"Really?" Xiba said in disbelief. His eyes were wide and Natsu could tell he was serious. She nodded and kissed him again.

His lips tasted like candy, and Natsu began to wonder what it was that he ate this time. She could barely focus when his hands rubbed her everywhere. His electric touch found her back, her sides, her waist, her thighs, her bottom, her stomach, her breasts.

At the peak of their excitement, the doors to the palace opened and Natsu knew it was time to leave soon.

"Nooooo..." Xiba whined quietly. "Why now?!"

"This sucks," Natsu complained, and gave Xiba another kiss.

"Natsu?" Xiba couldn't help himself but blurt out his feelings. "Kissing you is way better than eating food."

The look on her face stated confusion, but she knew how to respond. "If anybody else said that, it would be a sad statement, but I think that's the highest compliment you're capable of giving someone."

"Sorry if that was cheesy."

"No, not at all. I mean, for being you," Natsu teased. "I have to go again."

"No!" Xiba whined again, holding her hand as she began to stand up and take her leave.

"I'll be back again. I promise," she told him before they shared one more embrace and kiss, and Natsu chased after Mitsurugi when he was at a safe distance.


	16. Privately

Kilik awaited Xianghua's arrival at the destination they had agreed on. It was a safe place for the both of them. Prying eyes would not be able to reveal the desires of Xianghua's heart in a cool, damp cave. Nobody else would even think to go there. When she approached him, she was relieved to see that he had given her a chance, and was actually there.

"Thank you for being here, Kilik," was the first thing she said to him.

"What did you want to tell me?" he got straight to the point, hostility and pain shining through his soft voice.

"I want to talk about what happened. With us."

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

"No, it's not. Kilik ... that night we were together ... if I had known it was the last time we could be like that, I would have stayed. I never would have returned home. I never stopped loving you, you know."

How his heart pounded within him to hear those words! Even with the pain she had brought to him, his feelings remained that way, too.

"Then why did it have to be this way?" Kilik. "What haven't you told me, Xianghua?"

"Shortly after I discovered that I was pregnant ... with your child ... Xiba ... I was forced to marry someone else. I didn't have a say so in it. It wasn't my own decision, Kilik. I would never have left you like that. Please believe me. I'm not kidding around."

He wanted to believe her with all of his heart. He knew he had no reason to doubt her, but still it was hard to come to terms with the truth of their history over the past seventeen years. This was Xianghua - what a history they had! It just didn't make any sense for Xianghua to tell him anything but the truth. He was always the one for her, and she was always the one for him. She never would have had any reason to lie to him. And it was that simple.

Kilik couldn't help but move closer to her as she spoke. So close, they thought their bodies might fuse together and become one again. One body, one spirit, one mind, one soul. One love. "I wanted to come back to you, but it was forbidden. And I tried on so many occasions. I tried to run away, take Xiba back, and go home to you. But then..."

"What is it?"

"There was Leixia. I couldn't risk anything happening to her. If I was hurt in the process, she would be too. Even if she wasn't yours ... even if she wasn't conceived in a pleasant manner ... she's still my child."

"I see," Kilik mumbled as his hand reached out for Xianghua's, which escalated quickly to him pulling her toward him in a warm, long-missed embrace. "I never stopped loving you, either."

He kissed her for the first time since before Xiba was born.

"I haven't felt like this in years, Kilik," she confessed. "I feel like we're twenty again."

"So do I," he admitted, and the couple smiled.

"I wish I could just start all over. Married you instead, raised a family with you ... Just run away with you and forget anything else ever happened."

"It's never too late," Kilik suggested.

"What are we going to do?" Xianghua asked for some advice.

"We'll run away together. There can't be a more perfect time. The kids are grown. They can take care of themselves. Why not? We can be together again, just like before. Just say yes."

"Yes, Kilik!" Xianghua was quick to respond, but deep inside, she questioned how this would work. She decided she would figure that out later.


	17. Siblings

"Leixia, are you in here?" Xiba asked after knocking on her bedroom door. She opened the door, revealing a mess on her floor that she was in the middle of picking up.

"Do you need something?" she asked casually, leaving the door open as she continued cleaning.

"No, not really," he answered. "Do you need help?"

"No, I have almost everything I need packed."

"Packed?"

"Maxi," she reminded the boy about his brother-in-law while wiggling the fingers on her left hand.

"Right," he remembered, feeling foolish, not knowing what else to say. Instead he simply sat on her bed.

"You don't have to be so weird about it, Xiba," Leixia told him.

"Huh?"

"You're trying to act different ever since you found out I'm your sister. Don't do that. It's weird. I'm still Leixia, you know. I'm still your friend. Nothing has changed between you and me. I'm still your friend Leixia, and you're still my friend Xiba."

He didn't know how to take that. Was it rejection as kin, or just a reminder that her feelings toward him haven't changed? Surely it must have been the latter.

"I feel like an ass," he told her.

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong."

"If I would have known you were my sister, I wouldn't have offered to marry you! I feel so stupid."

"Xiba! You didn't know, so don't dwell over it. It's not a big deal. Besides ... Maxi fixed that problem. But thank you ... for trying to help me. You're a good friend, even if you are my brother."

"I guess you're right," he agreed with her. "So ... _sis_," he tried out, quickly switching back to being casual with her as always. "Anything new going on?"

"Not that you don't know about," Leixia told him as she shoved a few more things into her bag. "Got married, found out you're my brother. What about you?"

"I have news," he told her with a smile.

"Yeah?"

"Natsu kissed me."

"She did?" Leixia seemed almost confused, never having seen the two as interested in each other.

"On the lips," he bragged, making Leixia smile.

"I assumed that's what you meant," she told him. "Is she your girlfriend now?"

"Yes she is!" he proudly declared. Never before had Leixia seen her friend so happy, with eyes so bright. She was truly happy for him and made sure to tell him so.

"That's sweet. It'd be nice if Natsu became my sister-in-law," she joked.

"It hasn't been that long!" Xiba quickly told her as his cheeks turned red. "Great, you're one of those people now."

"Those kind of people?"

"Yeah, you're married, so now you want everyone else to be married."

"I don't care who marries who. But Natsu's my best friend. You know what I meant when I said that."

"Well don't hold your breath on that one. It's all new to me," he told her.

"Aren't you hungry or something?" Leixia questioned after realizing the boy hadn't eaten in several minutes.

"No, not really."

"Something wrong with you?"

"No. I'm just ... not hungry."

Leixia shrugged and didn't say another word about it. "When's the last time you saw Natsu, anyway? It's been a while, for me."

"Yeah, she has things to do."

"Oh really? Like what?"

"Like going after Mitsurugi."

"I thought she said he was dangerous," Leixia pointed out.

"She did. But if he knows where Taki is, then she's going to follow him."

"Should we be worried?"

"No, she's fine."

"How do you know?"

"Because. It's Natsu."

Leixia gave him a look that implied suspicion, but she responded only in a positive manner. "You have a lot of faith in her, don't you?"

"Of course I do," he answered honestly.

Leixia spent the rest of her night pleasantly, chatting with her brother while she cleaned and packed. It was nice for once, not having to worry about anything in the immediate future. The two actually started to connect as a family, and they knew the bond between them would only strengthen after that revelation.


	18. Follower

Natsu rotated between following the man of danger with her feet, eyes, ears and nose. She always kept a safe distance, mentally noting every action he took. She noted his eating habits, in case she decided to poison him. She noted his sleeping habits, in case she decided to smother him. She noted his weaknesses, in case she decided to manipulate him.

But so far, there was nothing of interest on the man, aside from the fact that he traveled alone. Of course a dangerous man would not have companions. That much made sense to Natsu, but it also concerned her. This told her that he was able to fend for himself.

But if that were the case, why would he seek a wife as a battle companion? Certainly that much was implied when he commented on Leixia's battle skills. Why else would that matter to him, unless...

It was only a false ego boost? That would certainly serve to help lure unsuspecting victims to wherever Taki was being held. That is, if she was even still alive.

Natsu tried to block that thought out. It would only discourage her from her goals of rescuing Taki if she was actually still alive.

Nevertheless, Natsu was happy to not encounter her friend with the man. As much as she missed the girl, she would choose abandonment for the sake of Leixia's safety over contact that would ensure her demise.

She focused on Mitsurugi, and nothing else. It was the most challenging task she had ever endured, partially because of the boredom involved. He had been sitting by the edge of a river for about fifteen minutes now, doing almost nothing. He didn't even appear to be a threat, but Natsu knew otherwise.

When Mitsurugi stood up, Natsu caught him stumbling. It seemed as though he was injured. Possibly he sprained his ankle in battle, or twisted it. But it definitely was more than just the average foot cramp. After standing up for several minutes it was less noticeable, but he tried hard to avoid putting any pressure on it. He turned around and started walking toward Natsu, as if he saw her. She moved to a different location in case she was in his path, but he knew she was there.

"Stop moving around! I can see you," he shouted.

Natsu panicked. Not only had she forgotten the first rule of ninjutsu (be stealthy) but she had also put her best friend and ninja master in more danger, if possible. And Xiba...

She had to think quickly. How to get out of this could only be determined in a matter of seconds. She stood still, ready to draw her blades at the first sign of direct trouble.

"Why are you following me?" he asked the obvious.

And just like that, it hit her.

"Mitsurugi, right? Heishiro Mitsurugi? Do you remember me?"

He approached her and scanned her face, then appeared to be in deep thought. "Yes, I recognize you. You know Leixia."

"Yes. I do know Leixia."

"So what do you want with me?"

"Well ... as you know, Leixia insisted that she wouldn't marry you."

"Yes, I know that."

"And ... I believe I may have a better alternative for you that would leave Leixia satisfied."

"What is your proposal?"

"Well ... as you can see, I am young, energetic, and possess excellent battle skills, if I do say so myself," she smiled and she reported in a cocky tone. "I am ... quite awesome. Why not just make me your wife instead?"

"Heh. Why would you want to marry me?"

"Because you seem to be in need and Leixia refused. And, I'm feelin' a little adventurous. I'm bored with life."

"Yes, I am in need, but I cannot agree to your terms without witnessing your skills first. Fight me, and then we will discuss marriage."

"Right now?" Natsu complained in a sigh, but quickly gave in. "...Okay. Let's get serious. Arahabaki!"

The battle between Natsu and Mitsurugi started with the release of the demon that was sealed within Natsu. Arahabaki's strength was enough to nearly shatter the samurai's arm and end the battle on the spot.

"You like?" she taunted upon realizing that she had quickly won.

"Impressive. I'm not sure I can use my arm."

"I guess I was just too strong for you."

"Alright, it's settled. You will be my wife," Mitsurugi told Natsu. "But first... I need some rest."

"Okay. You just be cute. I'll do all the fighting," Natsu insisted, and the two sought their rest at the place Mitsurugi called home.


	19. Window

While Mitsurugi slept on his own floor, Natsu awoke in the middle of the night. Something was disrupting the balance of the environment, and even if she didn't realize what it was, her body did. Her years of training had rendered her able to fend herself off before she even realized she was in danger. This was why she showed no fear in the face of danger, concerning Mitsurugi. Especially in his condition.

It was faint, but she quickly realized what it was that woke her up.

Tap, tap.

It was coming from the window. Instead of doing what most would think, approaching the window, she readied her blades and found the source of the noise outside.

"What are you doing here?!" she angrily whispered at her friends.

"Natsu!" Xiba couldn't help but throw himself at the sleepy ninja. It was obvious that he had quickly become very attached to her, as he thoughtlessly proceeded to hold her and kiss her before she could even think of how to respond.

"You guys can't be here," she scolded them, as she shrugged Xiba off of her. "It's too dangerous."

"We just wanted to check on you," Leixia explained. "It's the least we can do."

"We've all been worried," Xiba reminded her as his arm stretched behind her and rested on her waist.

"Ugh, you're such a pain," Natsu stated as she approached Leixia. "You're gonna get yourselves killed."

"No, we won't, Natsu," Xiba argued as he pulled his girlfriend back to him, now wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Have a little faith in us, like we have faith in you."

"If you had faith in me, you wouldn't visit me out of worry."

"Okay, so we just really missed you," Xiba gave in.

"I know _you_ really missed me," Natsu turned her head to Xiba and they briefly kissed. Xiba then rested his face on her shoulder.

"Have you gotten any closer to finishing your mission?" Maxi asked.

"Well, I'm here, so I'm on the right path. Just go before Mitsurugi finds you."

"Okay," Leixia agreed. "We just wanted to see you. We'll go now."

"Okay, bye!" she urged them to leave, and they walked away. However, she soon realized she was still attached to one person in particular. "Xiba."

"Hm." He said nothing, but kissed her neck. She instantly pushed him away, but smiled as she did.

"You have to go," she giggled. He didn't argue this time, only kissed her once before he followed the others. She then returned inside, where she found herself unable to sleep.

It wasn't the threat of danger that kept her awake, nor was it worry for her friends. In fact, it wasn't anything bad at all.

She just couldn't let the taste of Xiba's lips go. She replayed the kiss in her mind. She replayed the first one, where she wasn't sure how he would respond. She replayed the second one, which was anticipated by both. She replayed the most recent one, which was kind of a surprise to her, but she was happy with the way Xiba was treating her. Happy thoughts remained within her, and were only interrupted when Mitsurugi approached her.

Hours had passed.

"You look wide awake," Mitsurugi commented.

"I'm always wide awake," the ninja explained, partially only because she wanted to intimidate him and be sure that he knew he could never get to her. She stared him down fearlessly.

"There's one thing we need to get straight if we marry," he began without hesitation. "I have no interest in you."

"Then why marry me?"

"It's not for my own sake. There is ... someone I care about tremendously."

"You're in love with someone?"

"Yes."

"So why don't you marry her?"

"Nobody marries out of love," he commented. "It's a support system. That's what we need."

"Support for what?"

"She is ... ill."

Natsu hesitated before furthering the conversation. "How ill?"

"Malfested." Natsu didn't know how to respond. She only kept a detailed mental note of everything she could gather on the man. She remained silent, but his next words brought her back. He presented the item she had seen at the palace, which both surprised and scared her. "She asked me to take this with me whenever I'm away. She said the sight of it helps to repress the disease because of the memories it brings."

Taki!

So he was hiding her. But he wasn't doing it maliciously. Or was he? She couldn't tell. Maybe he was on to her and was hoping to lure her to more danger.

But what if he was telling the truth?

Natsu kept her guard up, but showed belief as she wanted. If he was lying, there was no way he would know of her suspicion.

"What's her name?" she asked innocently, awaiting the eternity of moments condensed into one where she would hear word of her master.

"Why don't you just meet her?" he suggested.

"That would work out."

"Alright, let's go," he told her and proceeded out the door.

"Right now? ... Okay."


	20. Mistress

"Try not to startle her," Mitsurugi warned as he handed her the pendant. "She'll be more open to you with this."

Natsu accepted the item, remembering the feel of it, the crafting of it; this was definitely hers. She walked through the doors, leaving Mitsurugi behind. She could hear familiar grunting in the room, coming from around the corner. She peaked around to witness a battle between Nightmare and...

Yes, that was definitely Taki!

Natsu's instincts kicked in and she immediately attacked Nightmare. A scolding awarded her victory.

"What are you doing here?!" an angry woman's voice was heard, and Natsu soon realized what she had just done.

That wasn't Nightmare. It was a mere statue which served as Taki's dummy practice. She turned around to face her master, whose eyes were red and whose breathing was deep and loud. Her malfestation level was severe, the young one could tell, but she showed no fear in her embrace.

"Master Taki...? It is you! I've found you!" Natsu shouted, taking Taki by surprise.

"Na... Natsu?" Taki was almost breathless now, and seemingly irritated. "How did you find me?"

"Is it true, Master Taki?" the blonde questioned upon pulling away and handing the malfested the pendant that was passed from Natsu to Taki to Mitsurugi and back to Natsu.

"What?"

"Is it true about Mitsurugi?"

"Uh-"

"You're in love with him?"

"How did you know about that?!" she agrily cried out.

"So it's true!" Natsu nearly cried tears of joy at Taki's safety. "Master Taki, why have you abandoned me?"

Taki shoved Natsu out of her way, offending her. "You ask too many questions."

"What?" Natsu was clearly confused, but told herself the truth of the matter. "I ... I forgive you, master Taki. I know it's only the malfestation ... and not you ... shutting me out."

"You are aware of the fact that I have become malfested and yet you stay. Why are you even here?"

"Because I was worried about you! You disappeared for so long ... didn't say anything to anybody. I finally thought I had a lead, but ... I wasn't expecting this. I'm so relieved you're okay! Well, aside from the whole being malfested part."

Moments passed before Taki finally spoke up. She reassembled her Nightmare dummy and kept no eye contact between herself and her apprentice. She was ashamed. "I didn't want anyone to worry, Natsu... That's why I didn't say anything. I am so sorry. But I couldn't risk putting others in danger. You have to understand that much. It isn't even safe for you to be here. I could relapse at any moment."

"Mitsurugi told me the pendant I made you helps to suppress the disease."

"Sometimes."

"When did that happen?"

"I found out the first time I saw it ... in that state."

"No, I mean ... you and Mitsurugi? Seriously?" Taki blushed, and contemplated avoiding eye contact. Especially as red as they were. It was embarassing beyond belief. But Natsu could see the joy in her blood eyes. It was pure and innocent. She did love him. "I thought you hated the guy."

"Hate?" Taki brushed it off. "Of course not."

"Yes, you did! I remember you tried to cut his arm off once."

"We were just playing around," Taki justified, however pathetically.

"I remember healing your wounds when he slammed you against a wall to get the money back from when you pickpocketed him."

"Again ... we were just playing around," Taki told Natsu.

"You both woke up in an infirmary after a double knock out."

"Ah yes," Taki recalled with a smile, and her eyes were shifting back to their original brown color. "I remember that night. A little too much to drink."

"And I remember one time he disguised himself as a present and got into the Fuma clan's hideout and hid under your-" Natsu cut herself off, realizing how much sense that made for him to have hidden under Taki's bed while she was in her room. "This has been going on for quite some time, hasn't it?"

"I can't help it," Taki explained. "I like challenges, and he always keeps me on my feet. No one makes me feel so alive, so pumped!"

"Why hide it then?"

"... Because. I ... have a reputation."

"What reputation?"

"The woman who almost succeeded in killing Mitsurugi seventeen different times. By choice, of course. Nobody would understand. I'd be labeled as a psychopath. But the truth is, it was never as serious as it seemed. We both just... liked to play fight. That's all."

"He hit you in the face with a spiked pauldron!"

"What can I say? I like it rough."

"Too much information."

"My apologies, Natsu. I tend to get a little carried away."

"So I've noticed," the blonde responded before asking something more curious. "Master, if you don't mind me asking ... how did you become malfested?"

Taki sighed and began her story...


	21. Malfested

_Taki couldn't say with any certainty exactly how her disease began. She battled countless enemies, and plenty of them were malfested. There was just no way to narrow it down._

_Furthermore, as a direct result of the infection, she could not remember most of the events leading up to the end of her normal life, and the start of a new one. Nevertheless, she recounted as much detail as she could when she spoke to Natsu._

_All she could remember was that she was on a quest that led her far from her homeland. She knew this only because it was Mitsurugi who was after her, and her lover had reminded her of everything._

_"How could they have escaped?" Taki grumbled to Mitsurugi in an angry tone. Her fists curled up and she slammed the mattress beneath her. "After all the training I've done, how could this have happened? It's as if they could predict what I was about to do. Nobody can predict the future, Mitsurugi. How could that have happened? I feel so disgraceful. How can I ever return home?"_

_"Sometimes, the unexpected happens," Mitsurugi consoled his girlfriend._

_"Don't try to make it acceptable," she warned._

_"You need to quit being so emotional and regretful. Get over yourself," Mitsurugi rolled his eyes at Taki's pity. "Nobody cares. You're not going to win every battle."_

_"Why don't you be quiet and fight me?" Taki challenged, ignoring her scratches and bruises. Mitsurugi could tell she was out of it. He looked deep into her eyes, curious if she might have had a concussion from the battle. Her eyes appeared normal, only slightly pink but that was to be expected as she had exhausted herself. "What are you staring at?"_

_"Your soul," he answered._

_"Haha. Fight me. Now," she demanded, standing up and looking down at him. She drew her blades and pointed one at Mitsurugi's face. "It's been a while, Mitsurugi."_

_"You're sure you're up for the challenge?" he accepted, drawing his own blade._

_"Indeed," Taki confirmed before making new rules. She dropped her blades. "Let's go. Hand to hand this time."_

_He leaned over her built body, almost walking into her as he gained proximity. She seemed unbothered and only looked back up at him._

_"Hand to hand?" he softly repeated as his hands met hers._

_"I said fight me," she demanded as his lips approached hers, but he was rejected when she turned her head._

_"You're in no condition to fight right now, Taki. That wouldn't be very honorable of me."_

_"Shut the Hell up. I'm fine," she argued as she shoved him away from her. When he approached her a second time, her arms extended outward to shove him away again. He returned with double the force as hers, but it still was not one hundred percent. Even so, she stumbled backward and went in for a full charge at Mitsurugi. He pretended not to even notice and stepped aside at the last moment. Taki went flying past him, and Mitsurugi captured her in his arms from behind. He threw her over his shoulder with ease, and she demanded, "Put me down right now!"_

_"And if I don't?" he teased as he began spinning her to make her dizzy._

_Her hands rubbed down his back and latched on to his bottoms, pulling them up as high as she possibly could to get her way. Mitsurugi simply wouldn't have this; he leaned forward until her head was past his, and he roughly let her down on the floor. She laughed, and he knew she wasn't serious about fighting._

_Even so, something seemed off. She seemed loopy. Like she didn't know where she was, or who she was with, despite making mention of the samurai's name and interacting in such a way that she would only act with him. She just seemed to have a lack of self-awareness. Or, maybe, she just gave herself up to him and abandoned reality._

_She rose to her bottom and yanked on Mitsurugi's legs until he found the floor with her. When he landed on his back, she crawled on top of him but was quickly overpowered. She looked up at him helplessly but happily. Even though she had lost her wrestling match to Mitsurugi, she was not a disgrace. That was the effect he had on her._

_That was how it always was between the two. Taki never beat herself up over her losses with Mitsurugi; this only served as motivation to train more. Every time the two had encountered, their battles were more intense than before. And whenever last time's loser became this battle's victor, the tables would turn. After so many battles, they had grown addicted to the rivalry. It was something to train for, and they always engaged in the hopes of winning two consecutive fights. They never gave up on each other. When there was nothing left to do, they would seek each other out for battle. It was a flawless strategy, but the results were the same nevertheless._

_Little did they know then just how valuable they were to each other. It was a symbiotic relationship that the rivals had developed between each other. The fighting kept each other happy and well-trained for the sole purpose of fighting again. If one were to perish, most certainly so would the other. Both lived for these moments, and although it was not their intent, they grew to care deeply for one another as a result._

_This went unnoticed until one day, victory almost fell into someone else's hands. A woman wielding a parasol sought revenge and engaged in battle with the samurai. It was a quick battle but most certainly would have ended in Mitsurugi's demise had it not been for a surprise savior, Taki. When he noticed the ninja, he knew he would die. Two against one were odds not in his favor. Setsuka, Taki quickly learned was the woman's name, was out for blood. Moreso than Taki ever wished from Mitsurugi, for the ninja personally had no grudge._

_But Taki refused to let Setsuka have her way with Mitsurugi. The thought enraged her more than any battle she had endured against the samurai. He began to question their entire relationship when Taki actually fought to keep Setsuka away from the man. He soon dismissed this as simply Taki wanting the victory to herself. Mitsurugi would die by her blade, and her blade alone. His life was hers for the taking._

_But when she defeated Setsuka, he realized this couldn't be true. She simply left._

_"Where are you going? I'm not finished with you!" Mitsurugi called out to her. She said nothing, and he chased after her. He could have easily killed her on the spot, after turning weak from battling Setsuka. She had far more scars from her than he did. He told himself it would be unhonorable of him to do so, and he let her live in exchange. There was no way he would fight unfairly. If the two were to fight, it would be even and fair for the both of them. Neither would have an advantage over the other. Furthermore, she did just save his life. He couldn't possibly end hers now._

_Taki only smiled at the samurai, which confused him greatly. She didn't know what to say, and he pressed for more details. It was obvious that Taki had experienced an epiphany upon defeating Setsuka, which resulted in a change of heart and attitude to her samurai nemesis._

_"You could have killed me. Why didn't you kill me?" he seemed angry. "You didn't even try!"_

_"I don't want to kill you."_

_Mitsurugi was stumped. He was like a schoolboy being told by a girl that he is the object of her desire. It was strange to him. He was at a loss for words, but pulled her back by the hand and demanded to know the reasoning behind her actions._

_"Why? You mean to tell me I've been trying to kill you for years, and you don't even have the decency to try to return the favor?"_

_She showed no fear in his restraint. Again, she only smiled sweetly._

_"Why aren't you killing me right now?" Taki returned. Her question was laced with accusation. "It'd be a shame if you let me slip out of your grasp now, Mitsurugi. And, quite literally, I might add."_

_She could feel the sweat of his palm soak through her clothing, but he couldn't hold on to her for much longer. He let go of her by his own choice._

_"It wouldn't be an even battle. I have a code to live by," he reminded her._

_"You think that battle weakened me," she correctly accused, slightly offended._

_"I owe you my life.."_

_"Mitsurugi ... if I choose to end your life, then it's over between us."_

_"What do you mean, it's over? Isn't that what we've been trying to do for ages?"_

_It was clear to Taki by his responses that he was on the same page, but stubborn as a man was, he would never admit to his feelings. He refused to kill her as well._

_"I'm not weakened from that battle. And, you just let me go. So we're even. I still have my strength and you've already repaid your debt to me by not slaying me when you had the chance. If you battle me now, I promise you it will be a fair and even fight," she tempted him, but he did nothing and she smiled again. "It's clear to me that you aren't ready to end this, either. Do you want to know why I spared your life, Mitsurugi?"_

_"If I admit my curiosity, will you tell me?"_

_Taki approached Mitsurugi, unafraid. Her hand rested on his cheek and she spoke softly, as if the two had never battled each other to begin with. Her eyes met his, and it felt as if the two were deeply connected through this gaze. "If you die, I'll never get to fight you again."_

_She walked right on by and he simply allowed her the freedom to do so. He didn't try to stop her. When her back was turned, he didn't try to supress his own smile any longer. "I look forward to battling you again, Taki."_

_"I'll hurry back to you, Mitsurugi," she bid her farewell and couldn't contain her excitement. It was so embarassing that she smoke bombed her way out of the vicinity._

_Mitsurugi anticipated his next battle with the ninja, but felt differently about it. Could he slay her after their encounter the day before? Did she really want to fight him? Or was that simply a plan to distract him from something more diabolical that she was prepared to do? He had to keep his guard up. She was a ninja, after all. He sat alone in silence with his thoughts uninterrupted until she appeared before him._

_"Sorry to keep you waiting," the ninja greeted as she jumped in front of him with her blades ready. "Wanna go?"_

_The samurai simply stared her down, not knowing how to greet her. Could he truly fight her with the intentions of harming her? What took her so long?_

_Why did he focus so much on the time it took for her to get back to him?_

_His nemesis sure was beautiful when he could see her this closely._

_"Before I fight you, tell me the truth," he said before even raising his sword to the ninja._

_"Truth?" Taki seemed confused._

_"Yes. Be honest. You said you didn't want to kill me because you enjoy fighting."_

_"I do enjoy it," she confessed. "Don't you?"_

_"That never stopped you from killing others," he pointed out without answering the question for himself._

_"Nobody else was ever as good as you."_

_"Don't tell me you have a thing for me."_

_"The truth is, I admire you, Mitsurugi, and I am not ashamed to admit that. You truly are a worthy opponent."_

_"As are you," he accepted her confusing compliment and ignored the rest._

_"But..." Taki went on as she paced around her nemesis, "... that's just the thing. I need you. If I had killed you, I wouldn't be as strong as I am today. I could have killed you years ago but if I had, who would have been my training partner?" She playfully shoved him as she made this comment. "It'd be such a waste to let go of good practice. Your life is quite valuable to me. If I let you die, I'd be hurting myself."_

_"So that's all I am to you? A training partner? Now I feel insulted," he complained._

_"What are you going to do about it? Does it make you angry? Do you want to fight me?" she taunted._

_"No, not today," he shot her down and smiled as the insult settled in on her face._

_"Oh, I see. Because the reason I haven't killed you is the only thing stopping you from killing me," Taki realized. "I'm glad to know that the feeling is mutual. You've become stronger, too, Mitsurugi. Excellent work."_

_He finally caved. "You're right. We're a good team, Taki."_

_She sat next to him on the hillside and extended to her hand to him as she spoke. "I agree."_

_He shook her hand, which was a strange gesture for the two who have been at each other's throats for years. Electricity flowed through their veins, pumping them full of adrenaline at the other's touch. It was new and exciting. Before either one of them knew what was happening, Taki was on her back looking up at Mitsurugi, whose blade was pressed to her neck._

_"Do it!" Taki challenged him, but instead he spoke._

_"Get up and fight me."_

_She knocked the blade sideways with her own and jumped to her feet. She smiled sweetly at her opponent and walked past him, touching his shoulder with her hand as she walked by. "I thought you'd never ask."_

_Of course, they had their differences. What couple didn't? However with their nonstop, mutual feeding of competitive skill level combined with the confidence that neither would ever succeed in their own intentions, the rivalry between the two lost all meaning. It had become only a small trivial matter, shallow and insignificant. It became nothing more than an ongoing training session, and the two were dead even on every level._

_The fighting became more intense between the two, and so did the tension during each encounter. It became harder to supress the growing affection that the samurai and ninja had for one another, and it seemed so did the possibility of easing this tension. If they could never be satisfied with their feelings toward each other, the best that either of them could receive from such a doomed situation was the satisfaction of battle._

_They looked forward to each battle without letting on their feelings to the other. It pained them both tremendously, but in that pain they were able to achieve some sense of satisfaction._

_Chaos broke out in a small village one evening. Taki heard someone declare the presence of Heishiro Mitsurugi, and she and the other Fuma clan ninjas raced out of the hideout for battle. How Taki's heart hummed with joy! Adrenaline swelled in her veins, choking her of this life's reality in exchange for a fantasy one. Her face was covered with a small mask, so nobody could detect her suspicious smile. She kept it to herself, and if given the chance, would only reveal it to Mitsurugi._

_She didn't know what caused the chaos, so she didn't bother looking for a fight. She attacked only those who attacked her, and waited for someone special to play with. Not everyone else felt this way, though, and Taki was engaged in battle with someone of whom she knew nothing. This would serve only to stall her until he arrived. When he did, he swiftly rendered Taki's opponent unconsious with a blow to the head from the handle of his blade, then pointed the sharp end at Taki._

_"I thought I'd never see you again," she greeted him after months without contact, and play fighting in public. Their previous rehearsals had paid off. Nobody suspected a thing, and they seemed out for each other's blood. Some was actually spilled, but as warriors, this was nothing to either of them. They both even had a bit of nerve damage and didn't notice some of the cuts._

_"Did you miss me?"_

_"I'm mad at you," she told him in all honesty when her blood made contact with his skin._

_"You can't stay mad at me, though," he figured._

_"We'll see about that," she accepted his challenge as she nicked off a few strands of his perfect hair. "More strands for each time you blow me off."_

_"Hey, don't take it personally. We're not lovers," he reminded the ninja, who was speechless. "I'm not obligated to follow through with our plans if something else comes up."_

_"Would it kill you to keep your word with me?" she scolded as she grapple attacked the samurai and threw him to the ground._

_"I never promised you anything. Also, that was a good throw. Keep up the good work."_

_"Thank you for practicing with me. And that doesn't change the fact that you've offended me."_

_Neither the samurai nor the ninja realized how they were drifting from the violence. They started out surrounded by everyone else, but ended up near the shadowy wall of an abandoned building barely within earshot of the others._

_"Don't even act like you're mad," Mitsurugi commanded. "We're not even living up to the reason we're alive."_

_"Ooh, philosphophical. And what reason would that be?" Taki questioned, having been caught off guard by his remark, but staying true to their routine._

_"Remember how we spared each other's lives for the sake of future battles? For the sake of self-improvement and honest practice? Look at us, Taki. We're not even fighting anymore."_

_"After all we've been through, Mitsurugi? You are no longer my enemy."_

_"After all we've been through?" he questioned her words, sidestepping her and cutting her arm with his sword. "What have we been through that has any meaning?"_

_"Quit being stubborn!" Taki demanded, paying no attention to the blood released from her body. She blocked and she sidestepped. She did everything she had rehearsed and suddenly realized that nobody else was in sight._

_"Is that really what you want?" Mitsurugi questioned._

_"I have no reason to lie to you. Don't you trust me?"_

_Mitsurugi wasn't following the routine anymore. Taki was thrown off. She charged when he should have parried, but instead he sidestepped, causing her to fall into the wall of the building. She spun around, cringing in pain from the small blow to her head, questioning why Mitsurugi would stray from the routine. Her question was answered when his body pressed to hers in a new, different way. He wasn't attacking her. He was expressing his emotions. His palms grabbed her face and he could see nothing on it but her eyes, which stared deeply into his own. His thumbs rubbed the top edge of the fabric before sliding up through the bottom. He unmasked her lips to introduce them to his. The battle cries from just down the street went completely ignored as Taki basked in the glory of the samurai's kiss._

_They were certain the others could not see them. They were hidden in the shadows, much to Taki's liking. She reached out and wrapped her arms around the neck of Mitsurugi, whose hands tickled down her sides and eventually reached her bottom. He lifted her up onto a window ledge just a few inches to her left. The connection between them grew fiercer, sloppier, and more aggressive. It was almost possessive in their desires to have each other. He tasted her tongue for the first time, and when he did, her entire body squeezed him tightly. Her legs compressed his waist, supported by strong, masculine hands to the backs of her thighs. His lips wandered to her ear and her neck, and Taki looked up at the stars and smiled._

_"This is by far the most enjoyable encounter I've had with you," Mitsurugi confessed, taking a moment to free his lips and breathe._

_"Don't get used to it," Taki warned. "You know we can't be together like this."_

_"If we can't, then we'd better enjoy it now," Mitsurugi convinced her. She agreed not with words, but with an aggressive kiss, as if the embrace would be seized at any moment. If they suddenly found themselves in astral chaos, this would be the one thing she wanted to do before her world would fall apart._

_She was at a loss for words. Tried as she might, she couldn't conjure up the words she wanted to say to him. From this point on, she would communicate only through her body, for she didn't know another way. There were only so many ways to describe emotion using words. Her hands slid down from Mitsurugi's neck and landed on the windowsill at her sides. She lifted herself up, supported by the samurai's hands, and pulled down on the fabric covering her most intimate areas._

_"I'm ready," were the words her body spoke to the man, but were never heard from her voice. She felt his touch between her legs, and placed her hands back at her sides to allow him to assist in the removal of her clothing. She was exposed and soaked with excitement, begging for her former nemesis to take her. "Now. Before it's too late. I don't want to wait any longer."_

_Of course he was already stiff with anticipation. He fully agreed with Taki. Before it's too late._

_He released himself into the chilly night air and pressed against her opening. She grabbed him and pulled her close, desperate for his cock to please her. The two maintained eye contact until he was completely sheathed inside her, and they shared light kisses as he backed out and went back in. Taki was already used to the sensation, but needed to be allowed more movement in order to get the full satisfaction out of it. Her legs tightly embraced Mitsurugi as she pulled herself up and away from the ledge. Using only her leg muscle, she lifted herself and let herself back down on to him. Her face rested on his shoulder, which she bit to muffle the sound of her own cries of pleasure._

_"Ssshhh," Mitsurugi instructed her, slowing down to keep her interested and not draw attention. She would push herself and he would bring her back down, and he would lift her up and she would drop back down._

_Are we really doing this? They both wondered. It seemed like only yesterday she had barely missed a vital organ, and he had fractured her bone with his blade. And only hours since she let on that she wished for him to remain alive. And only minutes since they considered themselves allies. And only seconds since they understood what the other really wanted - a romantic relationship. It was a daring move, indeed. It could only take a miracle to place one's life in the trust of someone who had attempted to take it on so many occasions. Even if that attempt was a great exaggeration._

_But that was no longer the case, and neither had any regrets. Sweat poured from the both of them as he explored her body with continuous rhythms. Taki couldn't help herself anymore. She no longer tried to muffle her cries. In fact, she didn't care who heard, or who even saw for that matter. This was far too enjoyable to be taken down by an audience. Her high cries echoed in his ears, which only drove him to the same level of pleasure that she was experiencing._

_He could tell she was close, and so was he. He held out for as long as he could, and the moment he felt her climax was the moment he let himself go. He shoved her back to the wall and continued thrusting into her, this time even faster than he had been doing. This surge of energy died out almost as quickly as it came, or as quickly as he came._

_Moans and panting were the only sounds in the vicinity which the two could recognize. When he was sure it was over, he pulled out and set her back down, although she could barely stand. She seemed as though she had been drinking, she was so clumsy. He was the same. His arms wrapped around her body as the two stood against the wall, where they couldn't remain for much longer. Taki pulled her undergarments back up and she dropped to the ground, followed by Mitsurugi._

_"We just did that..." Taki pointed out as if ecstatic from a drug high. She even giggled._

_"Yeah. Wow. I didn't see that coming," Mitsurugi commented._

_"Yes you did," Taki disagreed._

_Mitsurugi didn't argue back, partially because he was too exhausted and partially because he had, in fact, thought about it before. Many times. He only rested his hand on her inner thigh as they caught their breaths._

_"What now?" Taki asked after minutes had passed and the two were finally able to breathe regularly and speak clearly again. "We can't be together like this all the time, you know."_

_"I'll be with whoever I want to be with," Mitsurugi declared, invalidating any reason for Taki's repeated statement. She smiled._

_It was the end of a rivalry, and the beginning of so much more. An alliance, a friendship, and eventually romance. She reflected on these events as she stared up at him from the floor, warming her heart with affection toward the man above her. She snapped back to reality, to the present time where she begged for a fight and got just that. Taki's legs fought to be free around Mitsurugi, but she found herself able to kick him away from her like a cat in danger. Somehow, to counter this brilliant move, he pushed her thighs to the floor and topped them with his own legs. When all she had left were her hands, he pinned them down as well. That was when she bit him. Her palms were restrained near her beautiful face, and she found his arm with ease._

_"You fight dirty," Mitsurugi commented as he roughly forced her hands upon her own neck. "Give up?"_

_Her nails dug into his fingers and she let out a small, unrecognizable sound. Mitsurugi couldn't tell if it was a confession of defeat or if she was just grunting. "I..."_

_His skin burned with the excitement of her clawing, but he loved it. He raised his hands and hers just enough for her to be able to speak up, but it seemed she didn't want to once he let go. "Have something to say?"_

_"Yes." He stared at her as if hypnotizing her into spitting it out. "I love you."_

_He leaned toward her as if for a kiss, but instead only bit her lip. "I love you," he returned._

_He was there for every victory, and every loss. He pushed her to better herself and gave her something to look forward to. He had looked out for the ninja unbeknownst to her, and despite the constant fighting, he was there to protect her._

_There was only way to describe herself: his._

_He began to convince himself that she wasn't out of it. She was only nervous. She had never spoken those words to him. She had never been more true in her entire life. She breathed in deeply, and he understood how worked up she was. He freed her, but she didn't escape his grasp or try to retaliate. She only nibbled on his skin, and as she did, his fingers started ripping away at the fishnet of her suit, exposing her skin more. His hands forced themselves underneath her thick body and lifted her as he stood up. Her legs wrapped around his as the two slammed against a wall. The ripped fishnet on Taki's suit pulled out of the seams that held the rest of it together, and soon there were countless rips on her clothing from the hands of Mitsurugi. This wasn't the first time. It also wasn't the first time Mitsurugi had bled from injuries Taki had caused. It wasn't much, but small drips of blood from Taki's scratches on his hand dripped to the floor. Some of it ended up on her clothing when his finger made itself at home between her legs._

_Only Taki could support her weight in such an unusual manner. Her back was against the wooden wall, and she knew she'd get splinters but it wouldn't be the first time. It would only heighten her awareness. Her right leg lifted to Mitsurugi's shoulder, while her other remained on his hip. He pressed against her firmly enough that between holding her with his left hand and fingering her with his right, she wouldn't slip down. She yanked hard on his ponytail, and he smiled up at the ceiling when she did. She pulled him back to her face by the back of his neck. His forehead pressed against hers to even out the support as one of Taki's hands slid down to undo his pants. He was ready to go and didn't even wait._

_Taki's eyes fiercely shut and her jaw dropped as he pushed into her. She was sandwiched tighter between the wall and her lover, and a moistened, masculine hand found its way to her cheek, where it stung._

_"Look at me," he demanded, and rested his hand roughly on her neck. She obeyed him, and opened her eyes as he buried himself into her. After several repeated motions, he picked up the pace and began to steady himself within her. His spine shuddered as she sucked on his earlobe and started nibbling it. She could feel his goosebumps and she wanted more._

_Her teeth grazed against his ear and she moaned into him. This pushed his lust to new limits and he slammed himself deeper into her, making her cry out in either pleasure or pain. He wasn't certain which one._

_She was definitely winning this, though, if he was hurting her._

_"Taki. Taki! Too far," he calmly told her as her teeth sunk into his cartilage. At first he enjoyed the playfulness. It was soft, like a kitten's nibble. It then progressed and she pulled away while attached. This was okay, too; his senses were heightened and the adrenaline served to build up his pain tolerance. Sometimes, he swore that she could stab him and he'd barely notice._

_But this was different. Something was wrong. His ear stung, and he could feel blood dripping down his neck. The blood was not from direct penetration, but a result of her stretching his ear to the point where it cracked. She was literally ripping his ear from his face._

_"Taki!" he shouted to her, "Ah, the Hell?!"_

_But still, she didn't stop._

_It was obvious that he was in a lot of pain, more so than usual (especially considering the stabs and cut wounds from the ninja) as he pulled himself out of her and slapped her across the face again. But this time it wasn't for play. It was self-defense. They had gotten over trying to kill each other, or even bruises and cuts as battle scars. They had become more gentle with each other, so this was now unusual._

_"Sorry I had to do that, but I wasn't playing around. Maybe ... we need a code?" he suggested, but she remained unresponsive. "Taki?"_

_She stood against the wall, slumped over and exposed through torn clothing. She seemed loopy still, and Mitsurugi's concerned thoughts resurfaced. He looked her in the eye, which was now completely red. It was no longer just a little pink from exhaustion. Each iris had lost its color and been replaced with a hue similar to that of blood. She rapidly approached him with arms extended, walking with an unusual gait._

_"Taki! What are you- Taki!"_

_She jumped at his ear again, trying to pull him closer and nearly smothering him with her arms. Strange noises escaped her mouth as she tried to draw more blood, but he simply wouldn't allow it. He placed his already injured hand between his ear and Taki's mouth, and the other hand he used to grab on to her ponytail and force her to leave him alone._

_She screamed, but it was unlike any scream of excitement, anger, pain, pleasure, or surprise that he had ever heard. He couldn't describe it. It just seemed wrong. It seemed beastly._

_"Oh no," he realized. "I've heard of his before. Malfested... Taki, what happened to you?!"_

_She didn't hear him, only continued chasing after him. He managed to grab on to her ponytail again and slam her face-first toward the ground, where he remained above her the entire time she attempted to murder him._

_She only learned of her malfestation after the episode had passed. She was confused, as if having awoken from a seizure. It was a gradual awakening, and the world around her still didn't feel real when she came to. Mitsurugi had claimed she was responsive, but she had no recollection. One thing was for sure, she was damn tired. In her awakening, it seemed as though she was underwater. Everything was blurry and out of touch with the real world that Taki knew, but she was breathing so she realized this couldn't have been the case. Mitsurugi's voice was the first thing she recognized._

_"Uh," she sounded both disgusted and in pain as she gave away her first sign of awareness. It wasn't much, but the samurai heard in her tone the uncertainty about her situation. "What happened?"_

_She looked down at her torn clothing and questioned everything. She felt excessive drool on her chin and went to wipe it off with her bare hands. The limbs shook as they rose to her mouth, and she dried off. She cried when her hand caught something red - blood, when she finished._

_"Hey, hey, you're okay, Taki," Mitsurugi's soothing voice told her._

_"But I'm bleeding. Why am I bleeding?"_

_"That's mine. You're okay. Just a few scratches and bruises that were already there."_

_"You're ... talking ... too fast," the drowsy ninja got out eventually._

_"You're not bleeding," he slowly told her. "That's mine. And you're going to be okay."_

_"What? Why are you bleeding?" her tone made it obvious that she was legitimately confused. She spoke in a higher pitch than usual, and with very little energy exerted from her lungs to make her voice resonate. She looked at him, noticing blood all over his face. the rest of him was fine, consisting of nothing more than bruises and a few old scratches, but these wounds were fresh. They shone and were still dripping._

_"Taki, you're malfested."_

_"I'm what?"_

_"You're malfested!" he told her in a louder tone, anger resonating in his tone but not directed at Taki. He was angry at the person responsible for this, and if he ever could find this person's identity..._

_She pushed herself up off the ground, but only to quickly collapse the moment she stretched out her body in her stance. She clenched her stomach as it growled at her, and her eyes flinched shut momentarily. "Ow ... oh, my stomach. Mitsurugi! Help me! My stomach ... it's eating itself!"_

_"No it's not. You're just hungry."_

_"Ow!" she cried out again. "Help me..."_


	22. Obligation

Natsu returned to the location where she had agreed to meet Xiba, Leixia and Maxi. They were all surprised to see her casually strolling instead of sneaking up and landing there out of nowhere.

"Hey, you're back!" Leixia greeted.

"Hey," Natsu returned.

"How's the mission going? Did you find who you were looking for?" Maxi questioned.

"Yeah ... I did."

"That's great, Natsu!" Xiba shouted in excitement. "Did you let Mitsurugi have it?"

"No, of course not," she said in a low tone.

"Wait, what?" Maxi questioned. "You're telling me you didn't kill the guy who was holding someone hostage that you cared about?"

"He wasn't holding her hostage. And he didn't kill her. And he didn't kidnap her. He ... he loves her," she informed the group.

"Loves her?" Leixia repeated.

"Yeah. You see, Master Taki is ... very ill," she spoke with a troubled voice, and her friends began to feel sorry for her. "And she was kind of ashamed to admit her relationship with him, but he's been keeping her safe. None of it was what I thought it was, and I apologize for that. But ... I've found her again and it's all thanks to _my_ keen intellect and training!"

"She's ... ill?" Leixia questioned what her friend meant by that word.

"... Malfested," she sadly reported. "She has episodes at random times."

"What kind of episodes?" Xiba asked.

"Really bad," Natsu continued, trying to think of the most sensitive way to put it. "Cravings for human flesh. When she found out she was malfested, she woke up and saw bite marks all over Mitsurugi's head. All on his face, nearly ripped his ear off with her teeth. She doesn't even remember any of it."

"Take her to Kilik," Maxi suggested. "He's good at treating diseases. Maybe he can help her."

"You think so?" Natsu asked with hope shining brightly in her eyes.

"Probably. It's worth a try," he didn't want to give a definite answer because he knew there was a possibility it could go wrong. But still, he couldn't in his right mind just not suggest anything.

"Okay. I'll talk to her about it," she stated as she turned to walk away and head back to where her master was staying. "Xiba!"

He took the hint and followed her, placing his arm around her shoulder as she walked away.

"I need to talk to you about something serious, Xiba," she started off, causing concern in her boyfriend's eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, unmoving from her shoulder.

Natsu turned around to make sure the others were far enough from her to listen in on the conversation. "I don't know what to do."

"About?"

"Okay, before I knew what Mitsurugi was up to, I was following him. Hoping he would lead me to Master Taki."

"Okay..."

"And, I slipped up. He caught me. Wanted to know why I was following him."

"What did you tell him?"

"Please don't be mad," she begged before informing him. "I couldn't think of much at the time. I told him I was offended that he wanted to marry Leixia and not me. That I would be just as good of a wife as she would be. I had to keep an eye on him, please remember that."

"I understand," he said without getting upset.

"Thank you. So, he wanted a test of my skills. And we fought, and I won. We agreed to marry, and after that he told me about Master Taki. I didn't know it was her when he spoke, but now ... I just feel so conflicted, Xiba. Mitsurugi isn't the monster we made him out to be. He isn't a threat to us. But that doesn't mean I want to marry him. I want to marry out of love, like Leixia. But I feel obligated now, for Master Taki's sake. But he's in love with her, and I'm in love with you, so it isn't the most preferable solution."

"I see," Xiba commented before registering that last part of what she just said. "Wait, you said you're in love with me?!"

"No I didn't," she answered, apparently not even realizing what she said as she spoke.

"Yes you did," he argued back with a smile. He pulled away to face her and prevent her from going any further in that direction. "You said ... word for word ... 'he's in love with her, and I'm in love with you, so it isn't the most preferable solution.' You said that."

The blood rushed to the surface of her skin and she couldn't bear to make eye contact with him. Instead of feeding the embarrassment, she simply shrugged it off as she pushed Xiba out of her way. "So what if I did?"

"Oh, come on. Don't act like it's not a big deal. You've never said that before," he reminded her as he followed her. He then followed up with a mumble, "Probably not to anyone, ever. Hey wait! Don't just leave me behind!"

"Then hurry and keep up with me," she hollered back, and Xiba did just that.

"Would you slow down if I told you there's no need to be embarrassed about it? I feel the same, you know. Stop running away, Natsu!" She pretended not to hear him. She kept running, and he ran after her. Eventually he lost sight of her, and looked around for any trace of her. As he stood by a tall tree and continued spinning around, he couldn't help but mumble to himself. "My girlfriend's a ninja. Pretty cool, huh? No, she just runs away when she tells me her feelings.."

Before anything else was spoken, he was taken. He didn't realize as it was happening, but Natsu swooped down from a tree branch and pulled him up with her. She hung from her knees and flipped him to the branch above her. He landed on his stomach, not prepared, and let out a howl of pain.

"Oh, get over it," she told him as she pulled herself up to the same branch.

"What was that all about?!"

"You didn't like it?"

"I wasn't ready for that!"

"Oops. My bad," she carelessly said as she sat with her back against the trunk and legs stretched out over the branch.

"How do I get down from here?"

"You wait for me," she teased.

"Natsu!"

"You act like you don't want to be alone with me."

"Listen, Natsu..." Xiba put together as he tried to be somewhat even with Natsu. "What I was trying to say was ... well, before you took off like that, I'm in love with you. So don't even bother trying to hide your feelings. But before that ... I can understand your situation. And if you decide to follow through and marry Mitsurugi for Taki's sake, I won't stop you. But just remember, you don't have to marry him in order to help him out. We'll do what Maxi said, and we'll bring her to Kilik. Problem solved, right?"

"Maybe. I haven't even talked to her yet."

"Well it beats marrying him, right? I'd rather you not."

"What are you trying to say, Xiba? Are you jealous?"

"A little."

"Because you wanna marry me?" Xiba blushed and Natsu immediately knew. "Aw, Xiba!"

"Don't hold your breath. It's too soon," he told her.

"Oh, but you'll marry your sister when you're not ready-"

"That was different!" Xiba shouted. "It was an emergency! Only as a loophole! It didn't have to be perfect. And also, I didn't know she was my sister. So drop it."

"Oh, Xiba, I'm only teasing you. So ... you want it to be perfect with us, then?"

"Well, yeah." Natsu smiled at his kind words, and he carried on. "I know Leixia would be excited about that. She really wants you to be her sister-in-law."

"She said that?"

"Yeah, she did. I'm not ... gonna ask to make it official just yet, but, later on down the road, what would you think about marrying me?"

"I don't know. It isn't later down the road just yet. I can tell you what I think about it now, but my feelings might change in the future."

"What do you think about it now, then?"

"It doesn't matter what I think now, because we're not getting married any time soon."

"Oh, come on!"

"Okay. How I feel about it ... in all honesty ... is, I think we should wait."

"Fair enough. I agree," he told her, and she kissed him to express her still interest in him.


	23. Missing

"Mom!" Leixia greeted upon entering the palace, but she saw no trace of anyone. The group of six - Leixia, Maxi, Xiba, Natsu, Taki and Mitsurugi - searched but still found no evidence of occupancy.

Eventually, Xiba gave up and sat down in the dining room, eating biscuits from the table. Natsu joined him, not feeling up for searching. When Mitsurugi noticed their laziness, he left Taki in their care. They had to remain cautious around her, as her malfestic episodes seemed to occur at random intervals. They were all keeping track ever since she had been reunited with her apprentice. Natsu had to leave Taki to herself very shortly after she explained the illness. She had another episode only hours later, but nothing had happened yet today, and it was already approaching dusk.

"Try some chicken," Xiba offered to Taki with a mouthful.

"That's a genius idea, Xiba!" Natsu lit up at the thought, but Xiba was confused.

"Huh?"

"She just needs to keep her mouth busy. She can't bite someone's ear off if her mouth is already full," she explained. Xiba looked at Taki, who shrugged.

"Why not? I give you full permission to use any force available to restrain me if necessary," the oldest in the room explained.

"If you don't mind me asking," Natsu started off, "... how has Mitsurugi ... dealt with your ... episodes?"

"I am normally confined to one room," Taki explained. "He has never left for a period of time long enough for me to require relocating."

"And what about when he's not away?" Xiba wanted to know.

"He just has to hold me down. He's acquired a few muscle relaxers, and they also are effective, but costly."

"Do you want the rest of my biscuit?" Xiba offered to Natsu, surprising her. His eating habits sure have changed recently.

"No, thanks," she answered, and the three resumed their conversation.

"You know what would probably help even more?" Xiba asked, and when he had the ninjas' attention, he went on. "If we kept you tied up and covered your mouth."

"I'm the only person who's allowed to do that!" they could hear Mitsurugi's voice shout from another room. They simply ignored this and rolled their eyes.

"Yes, that would work, but I strongly prefer not to be restrained while I still have my sanity."

"Still, it's an efficient and safe way to handle the problem until we can get you to Kilik," Natsu confirms. "But if you start to go crazy, I can handle you."

"I know you can. You and Mitsurugi both," Taki agreed, smiling and meeting Natsu's eyes.

"Tie her up!" Natsu demanded to Xiba.

"What? With what?!" Xiba questioned, searching for something on himself that he could use.

"Natsu, you just said-"

"Your eyes are red!" she warned the older ninja, cutting her off.

"What?" Taki began to panic. She knew this would happen, and she knew it would happen countless times in her life. She wasn't so concerned for herself anymore, but for Natsu.

"It's okay, we have time," Natsu calmly spoke as she rose from her seat and removed the red ribbon from her leg, using it to tie Taki's hands behind her back and to the chair. Taki cooperated fully with her apprentice, who rummaged through drawers in search of another item of interest. When she finally found something that could serve to cover her mouth, she wrapped it around Taki's face several times. Her eyes darkened and she began mumbling panicked cries as she was quickly no longer aware.

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Xiba asked over Taki's muffled screams. She struggled to leave her chair, but it just wasn't possible.

"Guys!" Natsu shouted, looking throughout the palace for her friends. Mitsurugi was the first to hear her, and she pointed her finger to Taki's direction. "Go. She's having an episode."

"Why did you leave her?!" he demanded to know, sounding accusatory.

"Don't worry, Mitsu," she said as she waved her hand around nonchalantly. The new nickname seemed to irritate him, and she didn't care. "I got this under control. You underestimate me. And Xiba's with her."

"You left her alone with _that_ boy? Are you out of your mind?"

"Hey, listen up!" she sternly spoke, placing one hand on her hip and the other pointing a finger in his face. "That boy is my boyfriend, and he's not as stupid as you think. Usually. And I said, I got this!"

"Hopeless!" Mitsurugi cried out as he went off in search of Taki.

"What's all the commotion?" Maxi demanded to know, followed shortly by Leixia.

"Oh you know, Master Taki's having an episode and Mitsu is upset, thinks I can't handle anything, blah blah blah..." she rambled on with rolling eyes and a deep inflection in her voice.

"Oh no, this is bad," Leixia commented as she ran off in the direction of Taki's screaming.

"Why does nobody think I can handle this?" Natsu complained to herself before turning her attention back to Maxi. "Any sign of them?"

"No, but I think Xianghua ran off with Kilik."

"Why would they just run off?" Natsu questioned, shocked by a brief and detailed but to-the-point explanation from Maxi.

"Xianghua and Kilik have a very long history together. It's possible they've reconnected and she might have abandoned her family for him."

"That's terrible! We need Kilik's help! How are we ever going to find him?!"

"Well, if they did run away together, I have an idea of where they might be."

"Where do you think they went?!"

Maxi's lip curled up as he spoke, and Natsu could tell he was annoyed by the thought of it. "On my ship..."


	24. Found

Maxi barged in to his cabin, not caring about invading his friends' privacy. This was his ship, after all. If the two wished for privacy they should have gone elsewhere. He did, however, grant his friends the respect of being barged in on by only himself. Leixia, Natsu, Xiba, Mitsurugi and a tied-up Taki all awaited on the deck.

He was right. They were on his ship. Part of Maxi wished that he hadn't agreed to tell the two, "If you ever need a place to stay..." but he soon realized that if he hadn't, he might not have been able to find them. He expected to intrude in their throes of passion, but was pleasantly surprised to see them well-behaved and sitting on his sofa.

_That_ sofa. Good thing he flipped the cushions.

There was Kilik resting with his head on the arm of the sofa, and Xianghua cuddled up on to of him. They both looked so peaceful, but in so much fear. Nobody had ever made them feel the way they do for each other, but Xianghua still knew that nobody would understand. She told herself repeatedly that a coerced and loveless marriage cannot possibly experience adultery. She sought comfort in the arms of Kilik, and now that he was here and all hers again, she would never let him go.

"Hi Maxi, hope you don't mind us being here," Kilik greeted.

"Hi," Xianghua followed up.

"No, I knew you would be. And I'm glad you're here. I need your help with something."

"What do you need?"

"Well first, Xianghua, you'll be happy to hear this," he informed her. "Mitsurugi wasn't dangerous, after all. It was a big misunderstanding. He's been protecting someone."

"He wasn't a threat to Leixia, after all?" Xianghua perked up. "Well, too late to go back on that. Sorry you got stuck doing something you didn't want to."

"Not at all. I love having her around. Better married to me than a stranger, right?" he joked nervously.

"Definitely," Xianghua and Kilik agreed.

"Well, he is taking care of someone who Natsu loves very much. Long story short, she's malfested. Kilik, do you have a remedy for this?"

"How malfested?"

"Take a look for yourself," he answered in short, and Kilik followed his friend to the window, where he witnessed Taki tied up and fighting to free herself from what was now Xiba's turn to restrain her.

"I may have a way to cure, or at least treat her," Kilik said upon observing the ninja, noticing her falling to her knees. "Is she done?"

"I think so."

The three left the cabin and turned to the deck, where Natsu, Leixia and Xiba stood over Taki as her malfestic episode was appearing to come to an end.

"He may have a cure!" Maxi announced with a smile.

"Or a treatment," Kilik added with a shove to Maxi's head.

"You messed up my hair," Maxi whined as he stepped away from Kilik.

"Is she okay?" Xianghua wondered aloud.

"She's fine. She posses no threat to herself," Natsu explained, "... but we had to tie her up so she couldn't hurt anyone else."

"Can I let go of her now?" Xiba asked.

"Just a few more minutes. Wait until she's back to normal," Natsu instructed, and the group waited.


	25. Awakening

As it stormed, the group sat inside Maxi's cabin, feeling the swaying of the ship as the wind and rain moved it.

There wasn't much room for eight people on the ship. Even so, he couldn't bear to part with it. This would just have to do until the group could figure out a plan.

Maxi stood, allowing his guests to take their seats. Xianghua and Kilik sat side by side at the end of the sofa. Leixia was sandwiched between her mother and her brother, while Natsu sat beside Xiba on the arm of the sofa. Mitsurugi sat on the floor with Taki in front of him. His arms wrapped around her, but it was more of a safety precaution than an affectionate behavior. Still, Taki seemed to enjoy it.

"I'm sorry I left," Xianghua broke the silence as she spoke to her children. Neither knew what to say, and the silence couldn't help but be mistaken for hostility. "Leixia ... I'm sorry for everything I've put you through recently. You were right. I, of all people, should have known. I want you to be happy."

"I am happy," she softly responded as her mother stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.

"Natsu, is everything alright?" Taki looked up at her apprentice, whose expression lit up with worry and contemplation.

"I know everything will be fine," she tried to convince herself, but her lack of confidence shone and Taki pressed for more details.

"If you're worried about something, Natsu, it's best to get it off your chest."

"Well, it's just that ... when this is all over ... will you still need me?"

"Natsu, I'll always need you," Taki reminded her. "I've watched you grow up. You're family to me. Don't ever think you're unimportant. What's bothering you?"

"I just feel conflicted. Ever since I found out the reason Mitsurugi was looking to marry. I only said I would because I was suspicious and needed a close eye on him. But after finding you ... it just feels wrong, but at the same time, it feels like I'm supposed to. You need my help, if not now, eventually you will. But I feel like I'd be betraying you. I want what Leixia wanted. To marry for love, not some arrangement."

"You are under no obligation to marry me," Mitsurugi reminded.

"I should have never allowed this to happen," Xianghua piped up. "I've stolen my daughter's dream ... the same dream I had. Leixia, you deserve to marry someone you love. I can't apologize enough for resorting to marrying you off to Maxi. You deserve to marry the one you love, which I was never able to do."

"But I do love Maxi," she announced, which seemed to surprise everyone except for Natsu. Internally, Maxi panicked but reminded himself that he was in control over everything that happened on his ship. The marriage was a done deal.

"You ... you love ... Maxi?" her mother questioned, confused as to how that could have happened.

"Yes," she answered in short, smiling at Maxi, who smiled back at her.

Xianghua simply told herself that Leixia was too young to understand different types of love, but upon realizing that her daughter did not regret her marriage to Maxi, felt a boulder rise from her shoulders in knowing that the right decision was made to correct the previous arrangement. It was a highly unusual situation, especially with him being three times older than his wife, but Xianghua couldn't have been happier for her daughter. Even if her heart told her that she was confused about love. If Leixia was content, that was all that mattered to Xianghua.

"He makes you happy?"

"Yes, mom. So happy," Leixia added.

"Maxi," Xianghua spoke up. "Thank you for everything. I just want you to know that there is nobody I trust more with Leixia than you. I'm so thankful for what she has with you."

"... Really? You honestly mean that?" Maxi seemed a bit surprised that she was okay with the relationship, but tried to pull off the gentleman act as much as possible.

"Yes. I'm so happy," she asserted.

"Great! Can I call you mom now?" he joked.

"Absolutely!" Xianghua exclaimed, but quickly gave in when Maxi pulled his eyes back in surprise. "Just kidding!"

"So, you think you can help me?" Taki changed the focus to Kilik, who was busy rolling his eyes at Xianghua's playfulness with Maxi.

"I may have a remedy. We will need to test them out individually, so it may take some time just to see if anything even works," he explained.

"Any way you can help us, we will be eternally grateful," Mitsurugi made sure to mention.

"I think we should all get some rest for now," Kilik declared. "We'll begin testing tomorrow. Is that acceptable for you, Taki?"

"Yes, thank you, Kilik," she responded.


	26. Turns

"I'll never fall asleep out here," Xiba complained as he opened his eyes to view the vast collection of stars above him. Only a blanket separated his body from the floor of the ship's deck, but the group would simply have to take turns with sleeping arrangements for the time being. On the deck also lied Maxi and Leixia, after deciding it was proper ettiquette to give the bed to their guests on the first night. Since the reason the ship was so crowded was because of Taki's condition, they allowed the ninja and samurai to have the room for the night. On the couch slept Xianghua, and Kilik close by on the floor. Only piles of boxes separated the married couple from the others on the deck.

"You don't like being on ships, do you, Xiba?" Natsu wondered from the boy's side. She turned to her side and faced the sleepless boy.

"It's not because I'm on a ship. It's because I'm outside. Exposed. It's weird to sleep like this."

"So it's not because I'm next to you?"

"What? No, why would that-"

"Just wondering," Natsu blurted out. "Good to know it's not me. Hey, Xiba?"

"What is it?"

"This might sound weird, but ... I hope you don't mind. I can only sleep in certain positions."

"Why would that bother me?" he innocently questioned, and she said nothing in response. She simply demonstrated. She rolled to her side, flopping her arm over him and one leg across his body. "Oh."

"Is that uncomfortable?"

"No, not at all," he laughed it off as he pulled an arm over Natsu and cradled her head.

Natsu moved her hand to Xiba's chest, and her fingers stroked him gently and sweetly. His hand met hers, and their fingers interlocked as they slept in each other's arms.


	27. Remedy

Two months had passed since the first day of Taki's treatment.

There was still no cure.

Some treatment had been proven effective, but they knew they would soon run out of resources. Muscle relaxers and tranquilizers served to suppress her movements but it proved to be costly. The group had only a handful of these supplies left, and knew that if they were to run out, the only other option would be to keep the malfested ninja master restrained.

While she agreed to this under dire circumstances, this was not preferable. As an active ninja, Taki hated to be restrained. She only found it favorable when alone with Mitsurugi, in whom she entrusted her care.

This was the group's first day at sea after Kilik's suggestion to seek an alternative remedy.

The group was headed to Spain in an attempt to seek advisement from a well-known scholar by the name of Isabella Valentine.

It was a long journey indeed, but after finally gathering the materials to support residency for eight individuals, they were ready to embark.

They sailed smoothly for weeks. Occasionally there was a storm, but the group's safety was never jeopardized. Until one day, the ship was being attacked. Natsu and Taki stormed out of the upper cabin and onto the deck to investigate the booming sound, only to find half the deck removed.

"What is this?!" Taki demanded to know, expecting to see someone nearby, but the sea was empty for as far as they could see.

"What's happening?!" Natsu followed just before the ship's captain and his wife came out.

"What's going on?" Leixia demanded to know, seeming scared.

"Wifey!" Maxi called out, proud to be able to use that term. "Scout the area."

Maxi quickly tossed a pair of binoculars to Leixia, who climbed up to the highest part of the ship and looked outward. "Ship spotted northwest!"

"It is coming or going?" Maxi questioned from below.

Leixia hesitated before answering, needing time to calculate. After moments of watching the strange ship's movements, she had an answer."Approaching."

Soon after her declaration, Kilik, Xianghua, Xiba and Mitsurugi also came out to the deck.

"We're being attacked," Maxi warned his friends. The group didn't have much time to prepare, and a second cannon was already headed in their direction. As it approached, Xiba jumped on Natsu to shove her out of the way without even considering her stealth. There was now a large hole in the deck of the ship, and the group knew it would sink soon.

"Son of a bitch, I will kill the man who did this to my ship!" Maxi vowed.

"This isn't good," Xianghua pointed out, terrified.

"Maxi! How long do you think we have?" Kilik questioned.

"We'll catch up before we're down," he answered. "We take his ship and throw him overboard."

The foreign ship approached more rapidly than the crew had expected, and when they were close enough, they saw the pirate in control of the ship. He was built and carried two swords, staring down the crew.

"I'll take this guy out," Xiba declared and pulled a cheese block from his pocket and into his mouth. With his staff at his side, he backed up to one end of the ship and pole vaulted onto the Adrian.

"Xiba!" Kilik cried out, mimicking his son's actions and boarding the Adrian.

"You think you can steer through the seas better than I?" Cervantes questioned the newcomers.

"You think you can attack my ship and get away with it?" Maxi returned with pride in his new crew.

"The sea is mine," Cervantes warned to the others.

"And this ship is Maxi's," Natsu responded upon jumping onto his ship. Taki didn't hesitate to follow and immediately engage in battle with the pirate.

"Taki! Be careful!" Mitsurugi shouted from the other ship, noticing the deck filling with water quickly. The ship was already partly underwater, and Xianghua ran to where her daughter stood, waiting for the perfect moment to board. Sooner or later, the ship would tip sideways and they could easily jump down. Mitsurugi, however, had no patience. He simply walked to the edge of Maxi's deck and threw himself over the edge to the Adrian.

Cervantes had Taki on the floor and jumped on her in her moment of weakness, but she would not be defeated that easily. In a frenzied chaos of combo attacks, she quickly rung him out of his ship just as Maxi's had collapsed onto it, bringing Xianghua and Leixia on board safely.

"Is everybody alright?" the victorious ninja questioned once the evil pirate posed no more threat.

"Fine," everyone mumbled at a slightly different time.

"This ship is ridiculous," Maxi complained. "I have half a mind to jump out to sea and finish him off."

"Don't do that, Maxi!" Leixia begged. "The seawaters are rougher than you'd think."

"I'm not jumping in!" he asserted. "But seriously. This ship is pathetic. If I would have known we'd be stuck on this one I wouldn't have even bothered with the upgrades on mine."

"Maxi, this ship has cannons," Mitsurugi pointed out, hoping Maxi would focus on its usefulness instead of its familiarity.

"Well at least it's something. Let's just get to Spain as quickly as possible."


	28. Spain

"I am soooo glad I've never been to Spain before," Natsu commented shortly after the group's arrival. "Everyone here looks so... sad."

"I wonder what's going on here," Leixia wondered as she witnessed the odd behavior.

Shopkeepers were taking their belongings with them and closing their stores. The streets were empty, and not an individual was to be seen. The few people who remained outside were in groups, which indicated a safety hazard.

"They'll be back in a few hours," a soft woman's voice spoke up. She stayed put, showing no fear.

"Where are they all going?" Maxi questioned.

"Home," the woman with curly white hair answered.

"Why? They look like there's about to be a tornado or something," Xiba commented.

"They're afraid of you," she answered. "Can I tell you your fortunes?"

"Not right now, thank you," Kilik answered, holding out coins to the worker and dropping them on the table along with his jaw.

_Do I know this woman?_

Kilik brushed off the feeling of deja vu when the woman returned an unfamiliar gaze. No, he couldn't possibly have known her. She failed to show any signs of reunion with the man. But still, the feeling was there. He couldn't quite pinpoint where he might have known her from, but that face was all too familiar to him. He gets back on track with his main point. "Unless that fortune involves a shove in the right direction to a woman named Isabella Valentine."

"Yes," she answered in short. "Her preferred name is Ivy and she lives a few blocks west of here. It's a beautiful mansion. You can't miss it."

"Thank you," the monk responded politely.

"Keep your coins," the fortune teller insisted while pushing them back to the edge of the table, and when Kilik's expression turned to confusion, she elaborated. "You'll need it soon. You'll be back, anyway. You can pay me later."

Kilik picked up the coins, wondering if her words were true or out of sympathy because maybe she recognized him from somewhere. He looked back at her, whose eyes watched him leave as he led the way to Ivy's mansion, and the homeowner unexpectedly greeted the group with a smile.

"You must be the ones," the busty woman greeted them. "You look like you're not from around here."

"Uh ... we're not," Leixia confirmed.

"Can you please tell us what's going on?" Mitsurugi questioned as the woman allowed her guests inside. "Everyone is panicking."

"Oh, nevermind them. Word is my father has returned from the seas, which has everyone frightened. Cervantes the pirate ... back on land? It doesn't make any sense. Nothing that bad has happened since the rumors began."

"Uh, Maxi?" Kilik stole his friend's attention. "You think that was his ship?"

"What was the name of your father's ship?" Xiba blurted out.

"He called it the Adrian," Ivy answered. "Was it you?"

"Me what?" Xiba responded.

"No. All of you. You're foreigners. You would only ask if you believed you saw it."

"We did see it," Xianghua chirped in.

"But that's impossible. Nobody has seen my father and lived to tell the tale. Unless..."

"Yeah, that's right, miss," Maxi's tone got a little cocky as he spoke, and he brushed his hair back with his hand. "We threw him overboard. Thought he could take my crew. We showed him."

"Is this true?" Ivy questioned, scanning the guests' faces for confirmation. Nods were seen and mm-hmms were heard.

"Well then," Ivy was stunned. "If what you're saying is true, then please, by all means. If there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Do you know the cure for malfestation?" Mitsurugi didn't hesitate to ask.

"There are many forms of malfestation. Depending on the category of ailment, there already may be a cure targeted toward another disease. It isn't the malfestation itself that requires treatment, but the symptoms that develop from it. I need more information before I can assist you."

"Please," Natsu begged, pointing to Taki. "Master has these episodes where she gets all zombie like and starts trying to eat people. She doesn't even know what's going on and she has no control over it."

"She almost ripped my ear off with her bare teeth," Mitsurugi commented, and Taki hung her head in shame.

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled as if she had any control over the situation.

"I see ... that explains the restraints," Ivy commented. "I may have the information you seek, but off hand, I'm afraid I cannot tell you with anything with certainty."

Taki raised her arm, checking herself in a mirror bracelet that rested on her forearm. It was suggested by Xianghua, who put it together for the ninja in need. It was intended as a small gift to Leixia, but upon hearing about the malfestation, she decided to put it to better use. Taki frequently used it to check for changes in her eyes, which was always the first sign of the beginning of an episode. She was almost obsessive about it, to the point where she avoided eye contact with others. She was beginning to dislike her own appearance, despite her beauty, after staring at her own reflection for so long only to check for errors. Most women would use the tool to make themselves appear prettier; Taki only used it to convince herself that she was okay. Sometimes she wasn't, and she dreaded those moments. Still, Mitsurugi alone made her feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet.

Ivy led the group to her library, giving them full permission to use and take any resources necessary.

Kilik seemed to immediately know which books to pick up, and his concentration remained unbroken. The concentration of his friends was not as unwavering, however.

"Excuse me," Taki whispered as she approached Ivy, unable to read with certain thoughts racing across her mind. "I was wondering ... you seem to be very knowledgable. Do you have any records of others who are malfested?"

"I don't have a list of names anywhere, if that's what you're asking."

"I see," Taki answered. "Nevermind, then. Thank you."

"But," Ivy drew the malfested ninja back right when she started to walk off. "I do know of some nearby, if you're looking to form a support group."

"No, it's not that. It's a long story, actually."

"There's a young woman who goes by the name of Viola. I can't tell you how long she will remain in the area. She makes a living telling people's fortunes. What a scam, you'd think, but she's enraged so many people with the truth. She foresaw countless deaths, marriages falling apart, and all sorts of disasters."

"The woman with white hair?" Taki perked up.

"Yes. And red eyes. Very soft spoken and confident in her words," Ivy added.

"We met earlier," Taki reported.

"Do yourself and stay clear of her path. If you choose to ignore my warning, do yourself a wise favor and resist the urge to know what's in your future. Some things are better off being unknown."

"I don't believe in the practice of fortune telling for money," Taki brushed off the warning.

"You'll believe in hers. Most soothsayers travel the world because their predictions are wrong. Their customers are angry and want their money back. They feel cheated. Viola travels for a different reason, I assure you. When you tell the truth, others expect you to have an ounce of human decency and intervene in unpleasantries where necessary, and let go of greed. They should know better than to expect that from a malfested."

Taki looked enraged at the scholar's comment. Her fists slammed on the desk at which Ivy used to search for information. "I am malfested. I am still human."

"You don't understand what malfestation does to the soul, do you?" Ivy rephrased her offensive comment. "I mean no offense in my remark, but the malfestation does more than attack the body. It attacks the soul and devours it. It takes away a part of you that makes you human. With Viola, she has lost her compassion for others. I know you've lost something as well, Taki."

Taki's eyes wandered and her fingers brushed against the edge of the desk. "Trust."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I've lost the ability to be trusted," Taki admitted. "You never know what it's like until everyone questions everything you do. Nobody knows if you do something in all seriousness, or if you're even there anymore. I can't even trust myself anymore."

Taki did not wait for a response before heading toward the hallway.

"Should she be alone?" Ivy questioned her guests, catching their attention.

"Whose turn is it to watch her?" Maxi questioned, hoping it wasn't her turn.

Natsu said nothing. She simply chased after her without saying another word. This was partially because she was afraid to say anything to a sensitive Taki, and partially because she had nothing worth saying. She simply accompanied her without judgement, all the way back to the fortune teller they had encountered earlier that day.

"You're malfested," Taki greeted the white-haired woman.

"I am," she confessed. "Are you here to bond with me or to preach your hatred?"

"How can I hate something that is a part of me?" Taki returned. Viola seemed stumped by her comment.

"You don't remember me, Taki," Viola realized. "That's alright. I don't remember my past, either."

"I remember my past. I just don't remember you," Taki began to question the woman's motives. "Were you there when it happened?"

"I was. You must forgive him," she begged.

"Who?"

"The man who did this to you. It was not done out of malice."

"How do you know this?"

"Because I was there, Taki."

"What is his name?"

"I cannot tell you, for I see the future and if I do, you will undoubtedly seek revenge."

"Will I succeed?"

Viola smiled at the question and kicked a chair out from the other side of the table. Her fingers traced around the edge of the money jar, indicating to Taki that she was asking too many questions and would not do business for free any longer. The ninja accepted the seat and put in a generous amount of coins in the glass container. Natsu then sat beside her, but was ignored completely by the stranger.

"It is impossible to succeed in efforts that cannot be attempted due to a lack of information."

"If you're not going to answer my question, I want my money back."

"Read the sign," Viola pointed above her head. The words NO REFUNDS were printed just below the words VISIONS FROM VIOLA. "I told you your future. I told you that you will not be informed of the man's identity."

"That isn't a prediction. That's a choice that you're in complete control over," Taki pointed out.

"You're assuming that I have no moral code that interferes with my work."

"I was told you have no compassion for others."

"If that were true, then why am I not answering your question?"

"Because you're a fraud and you don't know anything."

Viola smiled and turned to Natsu. "I would like to tell you your fortune now. There is good news in store for you."

"Oh really? Go ahead and tell me then, I'm waiting!" Natsu was internally excited but out of respect for Taki, faked her doubt.

"You will soon ... learn the identity of your birth mother."

"I will?" Natsu seemed confused. "My birth mother?"

"And father," she added.

"How soon?" Natsu was immediately pulled in to her charisma.

"Before the sun sets tomorrow night."

"What? No way. You're making this up."

"I'm not."

Natsu turned to Taki with an ecstatic expression. "She says I'm gonna find my birth parents!"

"I heard," Taki said with a tone that was laced with doubt.

"Correction. I said you would learn the identity of them," Viola made sure to emphasize.

"Oh. Right," Natsu's smile faded. "Well that's a little less exciting. Why bother?"

"You will make no effort. The information will come to you when you least expect it. My telling you this has no impact on the possibility." Viola turned her attention back to Taki. "And as for you, Taki. I apologize if I have caused you any doubt. But you should know that your past will soon catch up to you as well, and you must embrace it."

"What are you getting at?" Taki drew her eyes back and glared at the fortune teller.

"Simply proving to you that I am not a fraud. Come back in a few days, would you? I would love to see the look on your face when you tell me that I was right. I'll even give you a discounted prediction if you'd like."

"Alright, Natsu. Let's go," Taki demanded as she rose from her seat.

"One more thing before you leave," Viola spoke softly again, as always. "If Raphael asks about me, please see me before discussing anything with him."

"Who's Raphael?" Natsu questioned.

"I don't know," Viola answered. "But I see him approaching you in regards to my whereabouts. I do not yet know if I can trust this man."

"I know what you're thinking," Natsu started off to Taki, "... but just wait and at least see if she's right before you go ratting her out. Please? For me?"

"Don't get your hopes up, kid," Taki could sense a false sense of hope in Natsu. She wanted to spare her the disappointment but it was obvious that she was too elated to be brought down.

"Also, I might as well tell you before you go. The book you're looking for is on the top shelf, seventeen books from the left. It's red and out of place. Consider yourself cured."

Again, Taki ignored the positive predictions and expected the opposite. She knew better than to fall for the beautiful lies she had just paid her to tell.


	29. Waiting

"Taki?" Mitsurugi spoke softly as he entered the room in which Ivy had allowed Taki to stay. "Is everything okay?"

"You can come in," she allowed, and the door creaked open.

"Any progress?" Mitsurugi asked as he closed the door behind him, locking it just in case.

"I'm cured. I know I am. She was right."

"She who?" the questioner sat beside her on the bed. She looked straight at him from against the wall.

"Viola. She said the cure would be on the top shelf ... in a misplaced red book ... seventeen from the left."

"And it's working?"

"Yeah!" Taki almost laughed, or cried. The two weren't sure which it was. "Nothing at all happened yesterday."

"That's great, Taki!" He leaned over to kiss her, and she returned it but he could still sense something was wrong. "So what's still bothering you?"

"There's something else she said, and I have no idea what she meant by it."

"What did she say?"

"That my past would catch up to me."

"Your past?"

"That's all she said. I don't know how good or bad it's going to be. I guess that's what I get for calling her a fraud. She doesn't elaborate."

"Don't worry too much. Whatever happens, happens. If you can't change it, don't dwell on it."

"Thank you," was all she said, and a knock was heard on the door. Mitsurugi got up to unlock it, and opened it to allow Natsu in.

"Are you ready to head out?" Natsu asked Taki, who had almost forgotten about their trip to the market. They had no idea how long they would remain in the area, and refused to let the stay slip through their fingers.

"Yeah. We'll be back soon, Mitsu," Taki declared as she stood up and kissed him farewell. When they stepped outside, Natsu poured her heart out to Taki unexpectedly.

"I've been thinking," she started off.

"About?"

"What if she's dead?" Natsu blurted out.

"Who?"

"My birth mother. Viola said I would learn her identity. She never said I would meet her. Why wouldn't I meet her?"

"Natsu, it's very possible that's the case," Taki regretfully stated. "I don't want to tell you to be negative, but to be realistic, don't get your hopes up. If it's true, then nothing can change that. But at least you can be satisfied in knowing that your adopted mother loves you with all her heart, and so do I."

"I love you, too," Natsu responded with a surprise hug that was returned by the older ninja, which brought their walk to a halt. "I can't help it, though. I'm a bit nervous."

"I understand the feeling," Taki told her once they resumed walking.

"Did your prediction happen yet?"

"No, and I'm not sure I want to come to terms with it if it does."

"You don't even know what it is, though," Natsu argued.

"I know," Taki agreed.

"Hey, do you see that guy over there?" Natsu questioned as she pointed to a shady area with her eyes. She saw a man standing in the shade beneath a tree, looking suspicious, but also somewhat helpless. He carried a cane and moved slowly, but had stopped where he was.

"The guy in the hat?" Taki checked without being too suspicious.

"Yeah. Kind of a creep, don't you think?"

"What's he doing?"

"I don't know..."

"Natsu! What are you doing?" Taki whispered loudly when she walked off in the man's direction.

"I'm gonna find out what he's doing," she answered.

"Get back here," she demanded, and reluctantly, Natsu returned to her. However, the man knew of her intentions.

"You don't have to be afraid to approach me. I'm only looking for someone," he called out as he stepped forward just slightly, still protected from the harsh sunlight in the shade.

"You don't seem too busy with the task," Taki pointed out the error in his logic and immediately distrusted him.

"Have you seen this girl?" he asked as he held out a painting of a girl with red hair. Taki seemed confused until she rotated it to hold it upright.

"My apologies," the blonde man felt foolish for holding it upside down, but in all fairness, only the back of it was visible to him when he held it up.

"Hey, that's!" Natsu couldn't help but speak up, but quickly cut herself off when she realized that she had made mention of Viola, which she ws instructed not to do.

"You know her?!" the man caught on.

"Well no, not really," Natsu explained. "Her face looks ... kind of familiar. What is her name?"

"Amy," he answered.

"And you are?"

"Raphael," he answered, as figured.

"I'm Natsu, and this is Taki."

"I don't care. I'm only looking for Amy," he disregarded the girl's kindness and took back the painting.

"O...kay," Natsu shrugged off Raphael's hostility and played it cool. "I know I've seen her before. Will you be here tonight? If I find her, I can bring her to you."

"You're exceptionally trusting of others," Raphael pointed out.

"Yes, she's a little too naive for her own good," Taki pretended to agree with the shady man, all while trying to not offend Natsu as it was only for show. She was convinced of the fortune teller's abilities and could not say anything that would lead to her. "We will be on the lookout and return if we find her."

Taki was glad to move away from the man. His empty gaze was haunting. He looked at her as if he did not even see her. She felt violated as the blonde man's head turned to follow the ninjas when they walked away. It wasn't her body or her face that felt violated, but her soul, as if he could see straight through her persona. She didn't speak another word until she located Viola in the same location as before.

"Okay, who is he?" she demanded to know.

"I told you, Taki. If I tell you, I put his life in danger."

"Not him. Raphael. Who is he?"

"Did he talk to you?"

"Yes, he did talk to us ... Amy."

"Sorry?" the fortune teller was legitimately confused by the name.

"Your name is Amy, correct?"

"I told you, I don't remember my past. Is that how he referred to me?"

"Are you sure he was referring to you to begin with?" Natsu had to question.

"Yes, of course. I saw it. He showed you a painting of my face, but with red hair, right?"

The conversation came to an abrupt halt as a man approached Viola from behind. He was buff and carried a sword on him, with unkempt hair. His arms wrapped around her and he kissed her on the cheek. "How is work going?"

"Z.W.E.I!" she called out, hurrying to find a way to not give out his identity as the one responsible for Taki's malfestation. "This is Taki. She's malfested like us, and doesn't remember how it happened. And this is her apprentice, Natsu."

"Why are you introducing me to your customers?" he questioned as he sat down.

"There's always a reason," she reminded him.

"Boyfriend?" Natsu assumed.

"Uh..." Viola blushed, not sure how to answer.

"She's too stubborn to allow it," Z.W.E.I joked, but the girls could easily pick up on Viola's uneasiness.

"For all you know, I could be married," she told him in a whisper. "Let's not do this now."

"Yeah, maybe Raphael is her husband," Taki agreed.

"Raphael?" Z.W.E.I questioned the name, scratching his head in deep thought.

"I had a vision that a man named Raphael would seek me," she explained.

"The things you tell strangers before you'd tell me," he complained with a shake of his head.

"Are you interested in ... maybe, meeting with him?" Natsu prepared the plans as quickly as possible.

"Yes," she answered quickly.

"Are you nuts?" Viola's companion asked. "What if he's crazy? You're not going alone."

"You're jealous. That's adorable," Natsu teased, but quickly silenced herself when he gave her a death glare. She then turned to Taki and gossipped right in front of the man. "This guy is way cuter than that creep. Too bad she's not going for him..."

"We'll be back later," Taki put an end to the interaction, turning Natsu by the back. When they were no longer within earshot, the apprentice spoke up.

"I don't understand ... she's been right about everything else. But look, it's almost sunset."

"When you least expect it, Natsu," Taki repeated Viola's words.

"But now I'm expecting it," she argued with a laugh.

Immediately after the chuckle, a child's voice was heard, "Watch out!" The warning was too late, and Natsu suffered a head injury from a flying ball that caught her off guard and pushed her into the concrete portion of a fountain in the middle of the town square. Fortunately, her extended hands saved her face but the concrete still made impact with the rest of her. The rough cement ripped through the elbows of her clothing, but she paid no mind to this. "Ow."

"Natsu!" Taki called out, only milliseconds too late.

"I'm okay... just annoyed." When she pulled her hands from her sides, Taki noticed blood seeping from the torn sleevs of the young girl's clothing, but Natsu still did not.

"Doesn't that sting?" Taki questioned.

"What?" oblivious Natsu responded with a strange, numb look on her face.

"Asphalt. You're bleeding," Taki pointed out. Natsu looked down and immediately felt it.

"Oh, ow, now that stings! Why did you point that out?"

"I thought you felt it already," Taki answered, pulling the girl to sit on the fountain's edge to assist in rinsing her off. "Let's get that cleaned up."

"Man, new suit and it's totally ruined," she complained after noticing just how big the rip was.

"I'll sew it up later," Taki promised before removing the girl's arm protection to get to the rest of the sleeve, which she ripped apart completely. She exposed the wound by moving the two sides of the sleeve out of the way. She paid no attention to it as she rinsed it off in the fountain, soaking the rest of Natsu's sleeve. While Taki rubbed some of the blood off from Natsu's arm, she became more gentle and slower in her efforts, despite the fact that her wound wasn't perfectly cleaned yet.

"You have got to be kidding me," Taki mumbled as she noticed something unusual on Natsu's arm. When Natsu realized what it was that Taki was staring at, she yanked her arm away, feeling self conscious.

"I was born with that," she told her master, and continued cleaning her own wound.

"I know you were," Taki calmly spoke up.

"I'm not dumb. I know when people stare at it. That's why I keep it covered. Please stop looking at it like that."

Taki couldn't help but stare at it. It was the elephant in the room, or more precisely, the thin line of birthmark that traveled down her arm.

"No ... no, that's impossible," Taki was almost on the verge of laughter as she looked at the mark.

"Would you please stop, already? I don't want anybody else staring," Natsu made her feelings perfectly clear to Taki, who immediately broke down and cried, squeezing the soaked ninja in her arms. "What are you doing?"

Natsu could hear Taki's unsteady breaths. Her inhales and her exhales both shook with emotion as she held Natsu close to her.

"Master ... are you crying?" Natsu observed. "Why are you crying? Please stop or I'm gonna cry, too."

"This isn't happening. This is actually happening," Taki rambled on. "I could never forget that birth mark, even after all these years."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your birth mark. I know who your birth mother is, Natsu." The girl's eyes widened and Taki could not even finish her thoughts. She only smiled at her, stroking her hair and cheeks, hoping she would be able to read her emotions. Alas, she could not. "How could I not have known? Oh, I feel so foolish! Look at you. My baby girl. All grown up."


	30. Lineage

_It had been only a few months since the two lovers exchanged their important words._

_"I love you."_

_They were twenty-nine years old. They were energetic and young, but wise and still youthful. They spent so much time together, knowing how deeply in trouble they would be if anyone were to find out about their relationship. They finally had the chance to be together and alone, and to do what they did best._

_Fight._

_"Not today," Taki begged, and when he raised his sword, she stepped back._

_"We haven't fought in months, Taki. I'm starting to think you're not interested in me anymore."_

_"Of course not!" she consoled him with an innocent kiss. "Just ... not today."_

_"It's been three months. I need some action," Mitsurugi begged._

_"Can you wait ... another, six months?"_

_"Six months? We've already not been fighting for the past three. You're asking me to go nine months without fighting you?!" Mitsurugi's dissatisfied face quickly changed when he realized what she meant, and his weapon fell from his hand. He didn't want to blurt it out, but she mimicked his expression as if reading his mind. "...Are you...?"_

_"I am," she answered nervously, not knowing how he would take it. She wanted to smile, but she also wanted to cry. What most would consider a blessing was almost certain to bring devastation to Taki, whether she wanted this child or not._

_Mitsurugi did not know how to respond. His mouth dropped open and he couldn't bring himself to pull it back up. All he did was approach her, and press his hand to her still flat stomach. There were no visible signs of life within her, but her face glowed with pride and love._

_"I don't know what to say," he admitted._

_"It's okay," Taki didn't know what to say either._

_"I'll be a father soon," he pointed out as if trying to convince himself. "What a strange feeling."_

_"How do you think I feel?" Taki questioned._

_"How _does_ it feel?" he inquired, curious about her mental state._

_"Unreal," she told him. "And sickening, sometimes, but I guess that can't be helped. I can't feel it move. I don't know it's going to look like. If it's a boy or a girl. It doesn't matter, though. I'm ... going to be a mother."_

_"And you'll be perfect," he encouraged her._

_Sadly, Taki would not experience motherhood, nor Mitsurugi fatherhood. For the next six months, the two grew even closer if it was possible. Nobody knew Taki's true whereabouts, as she told her clan she was leaving her homeland for an important mission. In truth, she was with Mitsurugi, who made sure that no harm would come to her or their child in this critical period._

_To further add to complications, the child was ready to enter the world earlier than anticipated. The couple knew there was no time to call for help. Contractions were timed increasingly closer as the minutes went on, and the pain was so severe that Taki could barely move. In fact, it was so severe, Taki was certain she would go into shock if given a pain killer; the added pain of the needle would be the straw that broke the camel's back. It was by far worse than any pain she had endured in battle, but she was happy to experience it despite the tears in her eyes and screaming she let out. Without this pain, her child would not be born. This child was worth a thousand battles, scars, and bloodshed, and more._

_The sensation was intense as the child passed from Taki's body to Mitsurugi's arms. Trembles overtook the ninja's body when it was over, and Mitsurugi's bed would soon need to be replaced from the blood loss, as did her blood itself. He placed the child in a cradle and immediately took a hold of Taki's arm to give her a prepared vile of blood after so much was lost. The needle went straight in and she didn't cringe or try to stop it. Nor did she go into shock. She was far too weak. Mitsurugi removed the needle and wrapped Taki's arm in a dry cloth, letting her return to normal from her painful evening._

_Nevertheless, mother and child had accomplished a successful and safe delivery. Father held her in his arms and presented the beautiful girl to her mother, who cried. "She's safe and healthy."_

_This was the first that Taki knew of her child's sex. She smiled at that statement, in knowing she had a daughter, in knowing that she was alright, and in knowing that Mitsurugi had delivered the baby safely. Taki reached out to hold her, but quickly pulled back. It was too soon. Not that she didn't want to hold her daughter in her arms, but she was too weak and feared for the child's safety. "I need a moment."_

_"I've got her," Mitsurugi assured her. "Go ahead."_

_"Hi," she spoke to her child who had already begun to exercise her lungs to their full extent. She didn't know what else to say, but felt a surge of warmth and happiness when she touched the child. "I'm your mother."_

_"Let's get her cleaned up really fast," the new father suggested. He waited for Taki to nod in approval before he interrupted the bond and took the child away. He set her down in the cradle for a brief moment, and then took out an object that looked like a long piece of cloth. He slipped part of it under Taki's neck and pulled her arm through one end. It was a sling, she realized, so that her daughter may rest with her without straining herself too much. There would be no risk of arms giving out and dropping her. He placed the infant in the care of her mother's arms and begun gently dabbing a wet cloth to her open areas, trying to keep her warm and covered as much as possible. The parents noticed a strange birthmark on her arm when this was done. It was a straight line, brown in color. They saw it as something that defined her appearance but meant nothing as a person. They were in love already, and admired the child for everything. She was a flawless human being, perfect in every way._

_The two had no intentions of returning to battle. They agreed to settle down and raise their daughter, away from the violence. Unfortunately, violence eventually came to them._

_The Fuma clan soon learned of Mitsurugi's whereabouts and raided his home one night, surprised to find Taki and her child, both in good condition. They questioned what she was doing there, and pieced the evidence together. The ninja and samurai had been having an affair that resulted in a love child. When the other ninjas approached the child, Taki's motherly instincts quickly kicked in and she stepped between her daughter and her clan._

_"Taki, that child is a product of sin and must be destroyed," her clan threatened as they exposed their blades. "And you, for betraying your clan."_

_Without hesitation, Taki raised her own blades to the nearest of her clan and ended her life immediately. The members of her clan were no longer of the utmost importance to her. When one still alive charged in for the child, Taki shielded her with her own body as Mitsurugi fought them off alone. Taki grabbed her child and fled to safety while Mitsurugi carried on with his enemies, removing himself from the situation only after each and every one of those who attempted to take his child's life were slaughtered. He found Taki alone near a tree, keeping her blades exposed and rotating to avoid a sneak attack._

_"They're gone," he told her._

_"Gone?" she demanded to know exactly what he meant by the word, for it wasn't clear if he had defeated them or if they chose to flee._

_"There is nothing to worry about," he assured her. "They're dead. Is she safe?"_

_Taki approached the tree and drew her blade to a rope hanging from a branch. She immediately dropped her weapon as she extended her arms to prepare to catch the child she had left in the tree for safety. "Mitsu, I killed one of my own kind."_

_"You did what you had to do," he reminded her. "Her life was in danger."_

_"I know, but still-"_

_"Don't think too much about it. You're a mother now. You will have those instincts. She's my daughter, too, you know. I would do the same in a heartbeat."_

_"They're just going to come back," she realized. "They can't report back. They will be suspicious and send more, and continue doing so until they have a report."_

_"Taki ... go back," Mitsurugi told her._

_"What? No, I-"_

_"It isn't safe for you here. Or for our daughter. Go back. Tell them you killed me to avenge the deaths of your clan members. I'll protect her."_

_"It isn't that simple. They'll want proof."_

_"Then take my sword with you."_

_"But ... I can't go back now."_

_"Do what you have to for our daughter," he begged her._

_"How will you fight without your sword?"_

_"I don't intend on exposing our daughter to combat," he answered her._

_Reluctantly, it was decided. Taki would return to the Fuma clan and Mitsurugi would raise their child alone. Of course this made it an inconvenience to be together again, but they did what they had to do. Months went by and the violence continued to find the couple, no matter there whereabouts, and no matter the distance between the two. They came to the conclusion that, for the sake of their daughter, they could no longer be in her life. It was far too dangerous. Of course it tore them apart, ripping their hearts from their ribcages, but it was to protect their child._

_Mitsurugi placed the child in an orphanage when she was just five months old._

_Although it pained the couple to say goodbye to their daughter who could not yet even say the same in return, they smiled with satisfaction that she would find a safe, loving home. They cried, of course, but eventually moved on._

_Several years later, Chie, a childhood friend of Taki's, thought it was time to bring her adopted daughter to the Fuma clan._

_"Mommy! I want to be a ninja!" Natsu would tell her mother on a daily basis as she snuck around the house._

_When she was brought to the Fuma clan, nobody knew of her ancestry. Chie knew only that she was abandoned as an infant. Natsu did not even understand the meaning of adoption, and her mother was just that, her mother. She did not know who Taki was. Taki looked at the young girl with an attachment that she thought stemmed only from the similarity in age. She wanted to make up for time that was lost, for the reasons she had to place her in someone else's care, for the feeling of abandonment she knew her child must have felt if she had ever learned of her past. That painful desire to be a mother again instantly overtook her and she bonded immediately with her friend's daughter._

_Maybe, Taki thought, if she could give Natsu what she failed to give her daughter, then somehow the universe would be forgiving and self-correcting. Perhaps everything would be okay._

_One day, something strange happened. It was the day the demon Arahabaki found a resting place within Natsu. She was the first of her clan to experience the dwelling of a demon within her, which made her feel special. She felt chosen and accepted. It was said that Arahabaki had manipulated the girl into going against the clan's orders on multiple occasions, but Taki noticed the part of her that was still human. Natsu was able to love and feel compassion for others, but she was bored. Arahabaki took her to new levels of excitement, which often scared others. She was powerful because of the demon, but realized how quick to judge humans could be._

_It became more noticeable every day. Her physical appearance changed. Her hair, which was dark at birth, lightened so much that she started to question if she was actually of European descent. She knew she was adopted because of this, even if the evidence was only circumstantial. Chie told her that she was found outside an orphanage with a note. She was most certainly of Asian descent, but Chie would not lie to her daughter. She did not give birth to her, but treated her with the same respect she showed Riki, her biological child with Li Long. It didn't matter to Chie how Natsu came into this world; she simply knew that all were equally deserving of love and family._

_Natsu's personality had changed once serving as a host for Arahabaki. Riki, her brother, understood why this was. Arahabaki was capable of physical change, and chemical make-up of genetics. Her hair was not tinted or changed, but a natural blonde now. Furthermore, Riki proposed a hypothesis that the reason her personality had changed so drastically was because Arahabaki had directly infected her blood. Nobody disputed this, as it was quite common to believe that personality was determined by blood type. It was obvious that hers had changed once Arahabaki was sealed inside of her._

_She would never even be able to make assumptions about her lineage due to this fact. Taki was a type A and Mitsurugi was a type AB; it was not possible for the two to produce a child with type O, and Arahabaki would be the perfect disguise. If she had been born in modern times, technology would never allow her to reunite with her birth parents._

_There was no telling what she was born with. As a child, she was ambitious and smart, much like most type As. She was also kind to everyone and easily made friends, much like most type ABs. She was the perfect blend of everything that could have possibly been the product of the ninja and samurai, but it was very short-lived. She had changed drastically but had not forgotten who she was. Her personality had changed but her spirit remained. Her love for her family remained embedded into her personality and memories, as did her love for Taki. These things would never change._

_Arahabaki did, however, manage to influence certain aspects of her personality. The demon encouraged some traits while repressing others. Natsu remained oblivious to this._

_The one thing that Arahabaki left unchanged physically was her birth mark, for it had no significance and meant nothing to the demon._

_Natsu learned who was important in her life when she did something wrong. Most would blame the demon within her for her faults. "Don't blame the child, the devil made her do it," they would say. "She's brainwashed from the demon," others would say. But her personal favorite was, "Don't be angry with Natsu. It isn't her, it's that demon."_

_On so many occasions, she cried. It seemed that people would use Arahabaki as an excuse for everything wrong in her life. Contrary to the fact that she was allowed to get away with much more than others, she didn't like it. Few knew that while the demon would have an influence, Natsu was capable of making her own decisions. She could suppress the demon's wishes._

_Taki treated her no differently. The same applied to Chie, Riki, and Li Long. Until she would grow up to meet Leixia, Xiba and Maxi, these were the only people she could trust and truly love. When Natsu got herself into trouble, Taki would discipline her regardless of what the others said about Arahabaki. This was one reason why Taki and Natsu grew so close; instead of passively dismissing her unfavorable behaviors as out of control, Taki attempted and succeeded in reforming the girl to a proper ninja. At most times, it seemed only Taki had faith in her that led to her not being unintentionally encouraged into carrying out the demon's wishes._

_Had Taki known Natsu was her daughter all along, it would have changed nothing, because she loved her like her own. And that's exactly what she was._


	31. Chance

Viola silently followed her companion home, hardly saying anything to him at all. Her eyes focused only on the ground and occasionally glanced up at him. She didn't know what to say about anything. There was so much on her mind, mainly Raphael. But she didn't know what to think of him. Only to think of him. She wanted to ignore it. She wanted to pretend she knew nothing of his existence. When she looked at his face, into his eyes, in her visions she was able to learn nothing. He was a complete stranger to her.

But Z.W.E.I. was not. He was here, and he knew her now. He knew better than to pressure her for a relationship that she knew he wanted. And at times, it was hard to say no. Hell, she'd only had a million dreams about the man after rejecting him in her daily life. And those dreams were always more than satisfying. She wondered if she'd end up having dreams about Raphael now that he entered her life. She was afraid to meet with him out of fear of her heart conflicting.

Her hand reached out for Z.W.E.I's and he only glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He didn't see much as it was dark out, and he was afraid that if he made a wrong move she'd back off completely. He acknowledged her gesture only with a light caress of his thumb to her skin.

He knew something was off. He knew she had a lot on her mind, but he knew better than to make her speak. This was a huge step for her. She just couldn't open up all at once, although she wanted to be able to do so more than anything.

He let go of her hand only to search for his keys when they approached his door, or what was basically their door. For the time being, anyway. They never stayed anywhere too long. It was dark, and there was no lighting anywhere in the small cottage. Viola was relieved because she didn't want to know if her companion was looking in her direction or not. She sat on the mattress and felt his presence as the cushion shifted beneath her. They sat there silently, perfectly content in each other's presence without any words or action for several minutes.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," Viola finally breaks the silence.

"You always think a lot."

"About us," she clarifies. He perked up, and she could sense this on him. She turned to look at him even if she couldn't see much.

"You don't have to say anything," he told her. "I don't want to pressure you into anything so if you're about to reject me again, just drop it entirely and I'll never bother you again."

"No, it's not that," her soft voice responded. "I just can't keep doing this to myself, Z.W.E.I. It hurts. It hurts to put myself on hold for someone who might not exist when I know you're here. I can see you, hear you, touch you. And it's hard to look past that."

"What are you getting at?" he questioned with a confused scratch to his head.

"Z.W.E.I... I don't see a reason why we shouldn't be together anymore. Nothing has ever come between us, and to be totally honest I feel like nothing ever will. I'm never getting my memories back. And you know what? I don't want them back. Because I'm happy with you and I don't want that taken away from me."

"Viola..." was all he could mumble. She had never said that much at once before. He was shocked.

"I know, it's weird, after all this time I'm having a change of heart. But please understand, you don't realize how much I've wanted this. And I'm tired of saying no."

"You're serious?"

"I am serious."

He sighed. "Look, Viola, as much as I want you to say these things-"

"Stop, right there. Don't try to talk me out of anything. I may never get the courage to say this again! Please don't take away my one shot at happiness. I may never get this again, Z.W.E.I. Please don't turn me down right now."

"Have you been drinking?" he was starting to wonder by her excessive talking and pouring her heart out to him.

"A little."

"A little too much for you, apparently."

"I'm not drunk, okay? I'm not sure why that matters or why you're even asking me about that. It has nothing to do with anything and I'm totally, completely, one hundred percent here. I'm awake, I'm alert, there's nothing different about me so why do you think I've had too much? I don't understand."

"Because you won't shut up," he said with a smile. That statement was enough to negate itself. "I wish you'd stop, though. I know you've been drinking more than you used to. I hope everything is alright. I can't even imagine what you must be going through but drinking isn't going to solve all your problems, you know?"

"It'll help me forget."

"You already forgot!"

"But I don't want to remember!"

He didn't know what to say in response to this, but it was clear to him that she was still just a scared little girl. She tried to ignore it but she still was terrified of the thought of her memories returning. She didn't want to betray Z.W.E.I. but she also didn't want to betray someone else, if there even was anyone else. He knew she was thinking this, and he knew her decision when she unexpectedly threw herself at him full force and engaged in a heavy liplock. She couldn't bear the thought of her worst nightmares coming to reality and not ever having experienced the pleasure of being with Z.W.E.I. Of course she couldn't say this because it could change his perception on the situation, but she wanted him more than anything right now, and he was in no position to say no to her.

He returned the kiss reluctantly but happily, and eventually the two found their sides against the mattress, wrapped tightly in each other's arms. They took a small breather, and Z.W.E.I's masculine hands gently caressed Viola's hair and cheeks, ensuring her that he would never break her heart. She smiled, and he could barely tell but he smiled back at her. Her hands fiddled around on his chest nervously as she tried to find the right words to say.

"I really want to be with you right now."

"You're already with me," he dumbly replied.

"No. I want to be with you," she repeated, and she made sure he knew what she was getting at this time.

"Oh!"

"But I'm also really, really tired."

"Then ... just sleep. We have all the time in the world." She accepted his understanding and began to drift into sleep in his arms. "I still think you're drunk, though."


	32. Collapse

The voices of her comrades disappeared as quickly as they were heard. Indistinguishable chatter filled Taki's racing mind as she stared down at her plate, which was already starting to cool off. There were so many smiles and exchanges of pleasantries, for the first time in what seemed like Taki's life. It had been that long since she experienced anything normal, or at least it seemed like it. She tried to allow the happiness to wash over her, but she just didn't feel right.

She looked at her daughter - that baby she thought she'd never, but miraculously she did, see again. Natsu wore that demon like a disguise and she thought it was a miracle that she ever learned of her identity in the first place. She began to ponder what kind of person Natsu would have become if it hadn't been for Arahabaki being sealed within her. _Probably not much different_, she told herself. That girl was far from demonic in any way.

She smiled as she watched Natsu's interactions with Xiba. She noticed how different the two young lovers were from herself and Mitsurugi, but she recognized that same feeling in both of them. She knew the odds were not in their favor due to their young ages but still hoped it would last forever.

She noticed Maxi and his young, energetic wife. How odd it seemed that they were together in the first place, but Taki was no fool. She knew there was more to the relationship than they let on. She could tell from the look in Leixia's eyes and her general awkwardness that the marriage was not a last resort, only an excuse to come out of hiding. He must have been able to keep her satisfied. There was no way such a young one would typically go for someone like him, even if he was as stunning as he knew he was. She still couldn't help but look at the man and be reminded of Li Long.

And then there were Xianghua and Kilik. If Taki didn't know any better, she would have sworn the two were married. They seemed to have been together for a long time. They just seemed so ... normal, like they each knew everything about the other. So natural.

She saw none of this in Mitsurugi. He was too preoccupied with taking care of her that there was no room for sweet talk, flirting, or any kind of normalcy. She envied her friends despite being happy for them. It wasn't as if the flame had disappeared between the two lovers, only that their focus was on more important things. She wanted so desperately to make up for the years of malfestation that robbed her of the security of intimacy with her lover, but she was concerned for his sake. She saw the way he had been looking at her since her treatment began, but she couldn't put him in danger.

Taki knew there was something wrong with her remaining from the malfestation. Her episodes would never return but her life would not simply resume. She could feel it every time she looked down at her chilling food. She couldn't bring herself to eat it for the same reason she couldn't even kiss Mitsurugi anymore: she was too bothered by the lingering feeling of flesh on her lips. The blood stained her pale skin and blocked all other senses. She never remembered engaging in such activity, but she felt the effects of it. There were too many diseases rampant among her victims. She was able to mask most of it, but even if she could stop thinking about the taste of flesh, the sores on the inside of her mouth would burn strong enough to stop her eating. There was just no way she could put Mitsurugi through that kind of torture just to satisfy her own selfish desires.

Even if that meant finding someone else to make him happy.

"Taki?" Ivy looked at her guest who sat down at the dining room table with a pale face.

"Hm?" the spaced out ninja responded, not even noticing the food before her.

"You'll insult Xianghua's cooking," the dominatrix whispered, seeing a full plate before her.

The ninja did not bother to respond.

"Eat up," Mitsurugi encouraged, disheartened that the vegetarian meal before her was still not good enough. He knew how she felt about consuming meat, especially after her long series of malfestic episodes. The rice on her plate was no longer steaming, and he knew it wasn't like her to disregard someone's kindness. "You haven't eaten in days. Don't go passing out on me."

He instantly wished he had used a better choice of words. Her eyes closed and she began to fell out of her chair, only to have her fall broken by her samurai lover. Everyone stared at her pale face as she fell into unconsiousness.

When she came to, she was alone in a strange room with Kilik. She tried to push herself off of the unfamiliar bed, but sharp pains shot up her arm as she realized she had a needle inserted to keep her on some sort of fluid treatment.

_What happened?_ she wondered. She tried to just forget about it, close her eyes, and go back to sleep. Except that she wasn't sleeping. She wasn't even there at all.

"Mitsu...?" she softly called out, not knowing where he was.

"Oh good, you're finally awake," Kilik softly responded to his patient as he approached her. "I apologize, Taki, I'm not allowing anyone else in here for the time being. Your condition is too compromised to allow any distractions."

"Compromised?"

"You don't remember what happened, do you?"

"When?"

"At dinner."

"...No," Taki answered.

"You collapsed."

"That's no surprise there, Kilik. I haven't been able to eat right for years."

"It's more than that. If you need it, your body will tolerate it regardless of the circumstances. It goes completely against human nature to starve yourself to death, or even to the point where you collapse." Taki said nothing in response, and so he continued. "...Which is why I took the liberty of doing some bloodwork on you."

"Kilik, that really wasn't necessary."

"You might have died if I haven't," he argued. "And to be honest, I'm really shocked that hasn't happened yet."

"I'm tougher than you think. I can handle a lot. I'm kind of hard to kill off. Just ask Mitsurugi."

"I almost couldn't find your pulse, you know. When I did, it was very weak. So weak, in fact, I had to give you a transfusion."

"Wait, you... did that?"

"It's no big deal."

"Shouldn't you be resting then, Kilik?"

"I'll be fine. You might not be, though. So it was worth it."

"I ... don't know what to say. Thank you," was all she could think of.

"You can thank me by taking better care of yourself. If you don't, you could be dead by next week."

"No, I won't," the stubborn ninja opposed.

"Taki, I don't think you realize the severity of your condition."

"My condition is fine. I'm not malfested anymore. I was cured, remember? Have you seen me have a fit any time recently?"

"You were infected with a few other things when that happened." Taki said nothing in response, as she was suspicious this might be the case. "I know you know. You seem uneasy all the time."

"What would you do?"

"Well, to start, I wouldn't exert myself too much. Your blood pressure is pretty low and it's dangerously thin. Second, I wouldn't engage in any unhealthy activity. Your immune system is the most compromised I've seen in years. One small mistake could get you back in the infirmary."

"But I'll be okay, right?"

Kilik sighed. "You aren't on your deathbed yet, if that's what you're asking." Taki appeared to show relief. "But in all honesty, Taki, the chances of you living to a full life expectancy isn't very likely at this point."

"Okay..."

"Typically women tend to outlive their husbands, but..."

"But what?" Taki demanded after a few moments of silence.

"Mitsurugi will probably be the one mourning for you." He could see tears forming in her eyes, but they disappeared almost as quickly as they came.

"How long do you think?"

"Probably just a few more years, if you're lucky and smart about it."

_That's still so young_... Taki thought to herself.

"How certain are you?"

"There is always a slight chance of error, and in your case, I hope it's there, but I have nothing to convince me otherwise."

It felt unreal to her. She had made it this far to begin with, so it was no surprise that her life should be over soon regardless of her condition. Kilik understood the premises of her lifestyle and how she was able to make it this far, so she knew if it hadn't been for the malfestation she would definitely have more time.

She thought about how she could break the news to Mitsurugi and Natsu. She wondered how Chie, Riki and Li Long would react. She contemplated not saying anything at all. Yes, that's what she would do. Act like nothing's wrong. They would never know.

Well, all but Mitsurugi. He would definitely know. It had been long enough since they had been intimate. She couldn't possibly make any more excuses now.

As for the others, she could get away with it. Natsu didn't have to know. After all, the malfestation didn't begin until long after Natsu was born. She was under no obligation to inform her of anything. Her health wasn't at risk. Nor was Chie's, Riki's, or Li Long's. She would, however, have to inform Mitsurugi.

_Or not_, she seconded. _I could just... disappear._

She let that thought sink in, and the more it occupied her mind, the more certain about it she became.


	33. Lies

Viola woke up in the middle of the night to a boom of loud thunder. It shook her awake and made her heart race, although it was more startling than fearsome.

_Well, I guess I'm up for the day_, she thought, even though it was still night time. It was almost as if a strike of lightning had shocked her heart. No way she could simply just fall back asleep. She decided to stay on the bed anyway and keep her eyes closed. She certainly couldn't keep them open very well so soon after being startled awake. She could feel the effects on her lungs, and tried to catch her breath and calm down.

"It's just thunder," a groggy Z.W.E.I. reminded Viola from her side as he pulled her closer toward his body. "Stop hyperventilating over there."

"I'm not," she argued with a lazy push to his shoulder. "Just startled me a little."

"Shut up and go back to sleep," she demanded.

Z.W.E.I. knew he couldn't fall back asleep either, but he remained silent to please Viola. She allowed herself to relax a bit more and rested her face against his chest. She realized he was still awake when he reached his arm out to stroke her hair. It was soothing, but served only to keep her awake. When he thought she was asleep, he kissed her forehead lightly and let go of her fine strands. Her arm stretched over him more tightly, a signal of her consiousness.

"Why'd you stop?"

"I thought you fell back asleep," he answered softly and resumed running his fingers through her hair. The two were still groggy. Neither had their eyes open. Z.W.E.I. had forgotten that he was in the middle of doing this several times, and one time he let go, Viola reminded him that she was his first priority with a light kiss on the lips. She didn't just let go, though, she stayed there until he returned, which didn't take very long at all. Her arm curled around his neck, and his rough hands grabbed the back of her thigh which rested over his. They traveled up to her sides and she let out a groggy giggle. He smiled at her in the darkness and his hands made their way to her stomach before pulling her body over his.

Viola was fully alert now, depite her still closed eyes, and she could feel his readiness press against her. Before she could respond to this wonderful sensation, he snuck his hands underneath her skirt and attempted to tug on the fabric beneath, except that there was none. Apparently his companion preferred to sleep commando. She writhed in anticipation without ever parting from his lips. Instead her affection only grew stronger when his finger slipped inside, soaking up all of her enjoyment.

_Is this happening?_ she asked herself. It seemed like only a few seconds ago she had woken up. Sure, she wanted it, but it was still strange after rejecting him for so long.

He definitely didn't mind, though. He would never question it out loud but certainly he had his doubts. He knew there was a possibility of retreat but he decided to fight hard for it this time. He'd have to just go with it and do what she wanted before it was too late and she changed her mind.

_It isn't taking advantage of her if she wants it this bad,_ he reasoned. If he hesitated she might take it the opposite way and assume a lack of interest. Regardless, there was always a chance that she could back out, even during. There was no way to ensure Z.W.E.I. would get his way without disrespecting Viola and her wishes.

Of course, that wasn't an option for him. Sure, the thought of such power was exciting but in a fantasy setting only. Not at the expense of a living human being, even if she showed no such same respect for others.

But then she spoke and his perspective shifted.

"I'll do anything you want tonight," she teased into his ear. Still, he didn't act too excited.

"No you won't," he reminded her. "You'll fall back asleep or change your mind."

"Not if you keep doing that," she moaned as his finger slid out and back in. "You keep that up and I'll do anything for you."

"You really mean that?" he questioned her as he sped up his motions. Instead of responding with words, she only moaned in pleasure. He unzipped his pants, a strong hint for her to do as she pleased. "You know what I've wanted for a long time..."

She was nervous, but ready. Her face distorted when he grabbed her hips to pull her tiny body over his. He wanted to just throw her over on top of the mattress and have his way with her however he pleased, but instead he tested her seriousness as well as took her up on her offer.

_I'll do anything for you_, her words replayed in his mind. She was halfway there, already. He wasn't even completely inside her before he decided to take more control. "Do your thing."

"What do you mean?" she played innocent, turning Z.W.E.I. on even more.

"Show me how bad you want it," he demanded. He learned quickly that he was enjoying this, partially as payback for having been rejected so many times. She didn't have to obey, and he knew this. it was merely a test, and hopefully the results would work out in his favor.

Her jaw dropped even more as she felt herself stretch around him. He couldn't possibly enter any further. He stared her down as if trying to transmit a telepathic message: _Keep going_.

She was silently begging for assistance - not necessarily with the penetration itself but definitely with more affection. Her tiny moans and gasps were enough to deliver this message, and he stuck a finger inside her other end for added pleasure. "You like?"

"I like everything you do to me," she confessed, and to her surprise, he turned a little rough on her and grabbed her by the back of the neck to draw her closer.

"You like that I waited years for you?"

"So turned on."

"Well if you're gonna make me wait that long, then you can take control."

She definitely wasn't used to being talked to like this, but she already agreed to do whatever he wanted. She pushed up just slightly before coming back down on him.

"Take this off," he suggested, tugging on the top edge of her dress. He began undoing her laces to help speed up the process.

As she allowed herself to take in the pleasure of his dick, her clothes eventually came off and her companion became much more greedy with his touch. He wanted to cherish this moment forever but knew it would eventually come to an end. He certainly couldn't leave it in her for the rest of his life.

But damn, he could make it last as long as he could. In order to do that, though, he'd need to take over control. He waited for her to show a little more interest before he teased her the way she had been teasing him, and withdrew but only with the intentions of making it better. He managed to get her face down on his mattress and spread her legs from behind. Her breasts swayed as his body pushed hers toward the wall and back again. It was definitely better for him, and she seemed to have less control. It seemed a little less intense for her as her moaning had declined, but that was exactly what he wanted. He didn't want her to finish too soon, and he knew the more excited she was, the quicker he would finish, too.

He just enjoyed the small sensations as he took her from behind, but even that escalated for the couple eventually. She buried her face into the pillow to muffle her cries of pleasure with each thrust. She gave up all control over her legs to Z.W.E.I. when he pulled her to the edge of the bed and let the limbs dangle helplessly in the air. His sweat dripped onto her and he noticed her sounds were changing.

"You okay?" he asked, at first wondering if he was hurting her.

"Z.W.E.I, you're gonna make me cum," she blurted out, begging him to keep it up.

"How soon?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow. She didn't answer. She couldn't. She was too weak. Her body went limp before him and he understood she meant _now_. He pulled out when he no longer felt her insides throbbing against him, and he roughly rolled her over on the bed. Her blushing face looked up at him admirably. Their lips, their tongues touched once more before she felt his warm fluid dripping on her leg.

Maybe it was reminiscent of her past. Maybe it was the euphoria-induced state of bliss toying with her memories. Maybe she had gone crazy, she thought. But of all the times possible, now was not the preferred one.

_What have I done to deserve this?_ she asked herself, internally panicking. She was able to successfully hide her pain from Z.W.E.I, who smiled down at her and continued kissing her while moving her over on the bed to rest beside her. Viola suddenly felt inappropriately exposed but was too afraid to say anything. _Why can't I just have my happiness?_

Maybe the key was her sense of touch all along. She had been afraid to become intimate with anyone over the years, particularly with Z.W.E.I despite her struggles of affection. Her body knew better, though. Her reflexes were still the same. Her body knew it wasn't the first time she had been touched in that way. Her body knew what was pleasurable. Her body recalled the feelings of fingertips, of someone else's warmth, and her comfort.

It was exactly like muscle memory. She didn't even have to think about it, but it was all a little too natural. It was a parade that she walked not for years but she still knew every step by heart. It was almost an exact replica.

She smiled for so many different reasons. She smiled because she was happy. She had attained something she had lost for so long. She smiled to hide the pain; she didn't want Z.W.E.I. to worry too much about her after their first time. She smiled because the hormones overpowered her mind and because she was thinking happy thoughts.

These happy thoughts though, were not something she could confess. The storm ended and the sun was beginning to rise, and Viola found it to be the perfect opportunity to hold on to these happy thoughts. She addressed the issue sealed within her heart in such a way that Z.W.E.I. remained completely oblivious.

"Want to head out now, or wait a few minutes?" she asked her companion, who seemed to have forgotten their plans.

"Head out?"

"You forgot, didn't you?" she seemed disappointed.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We planned on meeting someone today," she reminded her lover as she began putting her clothes back on.

"Oh. Right," he remembered. "Do we have to go? I mean, I'm so relaxed here, and you seem like it too."

"I know, but-"

"AND you did say that you don't want to remember."

"I'm not going to. I saw it."

"You saw it?"

"Yeah. I'm not going to remember anything."

"Then why bother going in the first place? I don't understand. What good can come out of it?"

"Pure curiosity."

"I thought you knew."

"Not everything!" she retorted quickly before casually explaining herself. "Look, he's not dangerous."

"Is that what you saw?"

"Yes. He's no threat."

"What else did you see?"

"Nothing, really. I might have learned something about him, but I still don't have a clue who I am."

The lies began.

"So it's pretty much, just go and find out something vague, again?"

"Pretty much."

"And what if he helps you find your identity?"

"So what if he does?" she returned the question only half-dressed. "It won't change anything. I choose you, Z.W.E.I. I don't care about my past anymore. You're the one who's been there for me. You see anyone else trying to fight for me?"

He zipped his pants back up before agreeing with her. "Alright. Let's head out then, if it will make you happy."


	34. Truth

Natsu couldn't wait to tell Viola that all three of her predictions had come true. She quickly learned what she meant when she said "learned the identity of" her birth mother. She had already met her. That same prediction coincided with Taki's. Her past had caught up to her as well.

As for Raphael, she was still suspicious but trusted Viola's vision. If she foresaw this man looking for her, than most certainly she must be this Amy that he had mentioned.

But who was he to her? The two were both clearly malfested. Viola looked like a teenager but it was clear in her words that she was much older. Did they stop aging? There was no telling whether the man was her lover, or a sibling, or a father, or a friend, or an enemy even. She couldn't accurately judge their age gap, but she couldn't rule out any possibilities, either.

But then, who was Z.W.E.I. to Viola? It was obvious that he was expressing romantic interest in her, but it was hard to tell if the feeling was mutual. She could also tell from the look in her eyes that she found him very attractive. Her pupils dilated when she caught sight of him, but she would also avert her gaze sometimes.

Natsu came to the conclusion that Viola was ashamed of her attraction to Z.W.E.I. "For all you know, I could be married," she remembered the fortune teller saying. Her only conclusion was that the only thing stopping Viola from becoming romantically involved with her companion was the chance that if she did, she would be untrue to the love she had forgotten.

Natsu's followers stared at her as if something was wrong with her. She had almost forgotten who she was with and what she was doing. She was accompanied by three men; Xiba, for companionship; Kilik, in case any trouble arose from interacting with the malfested; and Mitsurugi, who was eager to make up for lost time with his daughter. This was also part of the reason Xiba and Kilik accompanied her. When Xiba's hand reached out for Natsu's, she expected Mitsurugi to vocalize his discomfort, but to her surprise, he was okay with this. After all, she had known Xiba for longer than she had known Mitsurugi. It was not his place to start acting like an overbearing father when he had only learned of the relationship a few hours ago.

He did, however, vow to protect her at all costs.

The more time that passed since learning of the girl's bloodline, the more he questioned his oblivion. Every day that passed, she seemed to look more like Taki. He could even see a bit of himself in her when she smiled. He questioned how he never saw this before. In his memory, the girl was a lazy little blonde who slept on his floor for twelve hours and insisted on calling him Mitsu just to see his disgruntled frown. Perhaps the outdoor lighting made her hair appear brighter than usual. Maybe she was just overworked and needed the sleep. Maybe she had quickly come to have a respect for her father that she didn't have before.

One thing was for certain though, Natsu was not the same girl Mitsurugi had first encountered at the palace dwelling of Leixia and Xianghua. He almost teared up realizing his baby girl had grown up so quickly. For him, it was only a matter of months. He had missed out on so many years. He wanted to just cradle her, but she was no longer small enough to fit in his arms. If he had known the dangers that would have been, he would have never left her side as an infant until that last day they had together.

Thoughts raced in Natsu's mind. She teased her boyfriend for almost marrying his sister, and now she was certain that he would tease her for almost marrying her father. How strange it would be if Natsu had not interfered with her father's marriage arrangements! If Leixia had married Mitsurugi, Natsu would have been her best friend's stepdaughter. Xiba would have been an uncle figure to Natsu. Leixia's own brother would have become her stepson-in-law if he married the woman he loved. If Leixia had married Mitsurugi and Natsu were to marry her love, then Leixia's stepdaughter would also be her sister-in-law. Natsu would be an aunt figure to herself... the recursive relationships really had no end, she soon realized, and snapped out of her strange thoughts.

As anyone would have guessed, Z.W.E.I. accompanied Viola to ensure her safety. She seemed to panic. Of course, it was clear that she could not predict everything. Thoughts and visions of every possible encounter and every possibility for everything that could ever happen would certainly be too much for one person to bear. The group had heard of cases of soothsayers who predicted everything. The stress was too much to bear, and the only way for these few to be at peace was in death. Each of them had committed suicide at a young age.

Sometimes, visions would come to Viola without warning. Other times, she would focus her energy on something in particular that she sought from the future. This was how she was able to learn people's names without ever being told. She would seek an interaction in the future regarding that person, and she would hear a person being addressed. It was not a complete guarantee, though, but still had a high chance of success.

But this was no ordinary situation. She and her traveling companion had both questioned if it was a trap. Her lost memories were her point of weakness, and there were many in the world who had a problem with Viola's existence. Not only was she malfested, but she had no sympathy for others. She never intervened with the tragic predictions she would make, only profited off of them. Instead of learning to trust her words and choose to intervene themselves, they would take their anger out on the bystanding messenger.

The seven - Natsu, Mitsurugi, Xiba, Kilik, Viola. Z.W.E.I. and Raphael - all gathered in the meeting place. Viola caught sight of Raphael's cane and her breath turned heavy.

"Are you feeling alright?" Z.W.E.I. checked.

She tried to foresee what was about to happen, but found herself unable to speak. Natsu became more convinced that Raphael, this strange and rather creepy man, was right about her identity. He told her that she wasn't much of a talker. When she wasn't reading people's futures, she often was silent. When she did speak, she was very quiet and soft-spoken. Everyone who had ever met Viola was more comfortable in her presence while she spoke, for all knew that silence was a sign of focus and reading, and consequently intrusion.

Natsu realized she would have to wait to share her excitement with Viola, but chances were, she already knew. And she probably didn't care, either.

"Is everyone here?" Raphael demanded to know.

"Here is the girl you think you know," Natsu told him, pointing to Viola. The soothsayer said nothing.

"You're quiet," Raphael pointed out. "Why are you so quiet?"

"She's a bit nervous," Z.W.E.I. answered for her.

"And who are you?!" Raphael questioned the man who spoke.

"I'm her boyfriend," he answered the question everyone wanted to know. "Who the hell are you?"

"Z.W.E.I, don't start a scene," Viola quietly begged when his tone was raised.

"Amy? Is that you?" Raphael questioned when the girl spoke up.

"I don't understand," she softly said once again. "You ask me if I'm Amy. How do you not know? You should know this. Do I look like her? Are you not who I think you are?"

"I ... cannot see your face," he admitted.

That was when it hit everyone. Of course he was blind. He was carrying a cane. When he presented the portrait of Amy to Natsu and Taki, it was facing the wrong direction. His empty gaze that startled the ninjas had a new meaning behind it. At first, it was almost completely unnoticeable. As he spoke, Natsu and company noticed fangs.

"Vampire..." Z.W.E.I. realized.

"You ... you're blind?" Viola approached him, unafraid.

"Viola, don't go near him!" Z.W.E.I. returned, attempting to hold her back.

"What makes you think she will listen to the likes of you?" Raphael hissed. "You don't even know her name. I suggest you act a little more respectfully toward her."

Z.W.E.I. simply rolled his eyes - a gesture he knew the man would never pick up on.

"How could this be?" Viola questioned.

"He's malfested, Viola," Kilik answered. "It has different effects on everyone. Sometimes the effects don't get in the way of everyday living, but sometimes, it makes it very difficult."

"I lost my memories..." Viola reminded Kilik.

"I don't see anything," Raphael added. "Do you see anything?"

"Yes, I see. I can see you standing before me in the present, and I can see you standing behind me in the future."

"Sorry, I didn't catch all that," Z.W.E.I. spoke up. "What is that supposed to mean, exactly?"

"It means he stands by me," Viola answered.

"May I ask you something?" the vampire spoke up.

"Yes."

"Why Viola?"

It took a moment for her to register the question: Of all names to take on, why choose Viola?

"The flowers. It was the only thing that got my attention. People would talk to me, and I didn't have a name to give them. They would address me as 'the viola lady' and I would respond when I heard it."

"Amy was always fond of flowers."

Kilik listened carefully to Raphael's words. He knew Amy, too. He knew Viola looked too familiar, but like a character from a vivid dream years and years ago. He couldn't quite pinpoint how, but he experienced déjà vu every time he looked at her. That name, Amy, only strengthened this notion. He had to have met her before.

Subconsciously, the others stepped away. It was too emotional and intense to stick around. Natsu kept her word, and Z.W.E.I. was around to protect Viola if need be, although they weren't so certain he wouldn't attack without reason. His jealousy was obvious.

"Are you ... crying?" Raphael inquired after hearing a few sobs. He reached out for her face, partially to comfort the woman he believed to be his long lost love, and partially to feel her face, for the blind saw with touch.

"I've wanted to know who I am for so long, and the only person who has anything is blind."

"That's enough," Z.W.E.I. intervened as he pulled his girlfriend back from the troublesome vampire. "You need to stop upsetting her."

"I may be blind," Raphael began as he approached him with his cane extended for a threat and not walking assistance, "...But I have enough senses to tell me when she's being handled roughly and if you ever again put your hands on her the way you just did, I would be delighted to remove them and keep them around my castle for dinner."

"You're fucking sick. What the Hell is your problem? You think you can just stroll along here and start acting like you know her? Here's something new to you: she doesn't know who the fuck you are, so don't act like you know her like I do."

"Z.W.E.I, please, you're not helping," Viola scolded him.

"Viola, he's upsetting you. I won't have it."

"He doesn't mean to."

"Well if he does it again, consider him dead."

"You dare to challenge me?" the blind man asked, almost laughing.

"Please don't fight," Viola begged quietly.

"Stay right there," Raphael commanded. "Don't move."

"What?" Viola questioned, putting her trust in the man.

That's when it happened. It was all too sudden, but it happened. Viola turned her back on the werewolf, her traveling companion, her lover. The claw of her sleeve latched on to his groin, and he fell backward when she retreated. This would not have happened if the werewolf had not attempted to attack Raphael. Both had good intentions, but Z.W.E.I. could not help but defend his love who he deemed in danger. He feared for her safety and intervened when Raphael pulled on Viola's leg, ripping her stocking down and grasping onto her leg firmly.

And yet, Viola showed no fear. She showed no emotion and did not object.

"Why would you attack me, Viola?!"

"He knows me."

"What?"

"How else would he know who I am? He knows about my scar!"

"Your scar?" Z.W.E.I. questioned.

"See, not even you know about it." To be fair, she always kept her legs hidden for the most part. Even during her first time with Z.W.E.I, he had no direct contact with that part of her leg. It instantly triggered a gut-wrenching feeling in Z.W.E.I, and he knew that there was something more serious between the two.

"Amy ... I've been searching everywhere for you. Will you please come home?"

"Home?"

"With me?" he specified.

"Viola, don't go with him!" Z.W.E.I. shouted.

"My name is Amy," she stated, still sounding unreal.

"Do you remember?" her traveling companion demanded to know.

Instead of responding in words, Viola let out a cry that was like a deep inhale, sounding shocked. She nearly fell backward, but was still within Raphael's grasp and he caught her. She looked at his face, only inches away from hers, and whispered, "I know."

"Viola, what did you just see?" the werewolf questioned, prying her from Raphael's grasp.

"She saw herself remembering," Raphael answered in an irritated tone.

"Remembering what?"

"Please stop pestering me about my memories!" the curly-haired woman shrieked, surprising everyone. She was always so quiet, so calm. "I can't take it anymore!"

"This can't be good," Xiba commented to Natsu as the group stepped away from the malfested.

"Why are you acting like this, Viola?" Z.W.E.I. demanded to know.

"Come!" Viola drew her orb to her, hitting Z.W.E.I. on the head on its way back to her.

"Ow," he complained, although the damage was minimal. Viola sidestepped around him continuously, crouching and blocking, repeatedly commanding her orb to "go" and "come!"

"Why?!"

"I do not wish to harm you, Z.W.E.I, but you leave me no choice."

"Would you mind explaining yourself?" Z.W.E.I. reluctantly picked up his sword, ready to defend himself or to knock some sense into his girlfriend. He still wasn't sure entirely what had come over her, but he knew something was wrong. And it involved the blind man before them.

"Come!" she ignored her friend, and summoned her orb back to her.

He unleashed E.I.N. once he had enough, and almost had the fortune teller unconscious when she pleaded, "Stop attacking me!"

"This was your idea!"

"Guys, please stop this madness!" Natsu called out. "I'm warning you!"

"Go! Come!" she called, continuing to ignore everyone.

"You don't have to do this," Raphael commented quietly, knowing her actions were to protect him.

"This is all your fault!" Z.W.E.I. screamed at the vampire. "She meets you and suddenly loses it! What kind of manipulation is this?" It wasn't until the werewolf had his sword drawn and charged at the blonde man that Natsu was heard one last time.

"I'll make you guys stop if you don't listen to me!" she shouted before mumbling, "Although I really don't feel like doing this." With that, she let out a sigh and called out, "ARAHABAKI!"

"Natsu, no!" Mitsurugi reached out for Natsu as if it would have any impact on her summon.

It struck him quickly. Mitsurugi understood everything and feared for Natsu's very life now that she had released the demon again. He suddenly found himself away from her side when a flash of lightning accompanied the demon's presence. The horror provoked a knee-jerk response for all to avert their eyes, as if not looking at it would protect them from the dangers of it.

"You seek me?" an unfamiliar voice was heard, accompanied by a ring of fire that extended to those nearby. Natsu found herself alone in the circle with the demon.

"You ... did you just talk to me?!" Natsu questioned this new experience.

"Of all the glorious things I can do, of all the wonderous things I have done through you, and you simply question my ability to speak? Pathetic mortal."

"N...no... it's just that you've never talked ... to me, before," Natsu nervously confessed.

She could hear the voices of her friends outside the ring and somehow managed to focus on every single word spoken, piecing together the events just outside the fire circle.

"Amy, are you hurt?"

"Everybody evacuate! This is dangerous!" Kilik demanded.

"I'm not leaving without Natsu!" her boyfriend whined.

"Viola, you can explain yourself later, but get out of here!"

"Just leave! I'll get Natsu out of here," her father stated.

"I didn't intend for any of this to happen," Viola commented quietly.

"Amy! Can you walk?"

"She doesn't need _your_ help!"

"Head back to the Valentine mansion!" Kilik insisted.

"No, I'm staying here until I know she's safe!"

"Xiba, don't be foolish! I said I'll bring her back safely! Just go!"

"What? Hey, get your hands off me."

"After sixteen years of not knowing you exist, don't fight me on this," Kilik reminded his son who was too stubborn to appreciate the gift of life, and those who protect it.

"Natsu, get out of there!" Mitsurugi called out as he reached inside the circle and pulled his daughter out. The two immediately rolled on the ground to put out the flames from their clothing. Without hesitating, Mitsurugi pulled on her small hand and ran with her, leading her to safety.

"What just happened?" Natsu innocently wondered.

"I wish I had known that sooner!" her father cried. "You've just unleashed a demon!"

"I know, I didn't want to fight, and I'm used to it, I mean I do it a lot-"

"PERMANENTLY!"

Natsu didn't have time to think about what she had carelessly done. She ran to the others, away from Arahabaki, and wondered what this meant.


	35. Poles

It was close to dawn, and the mansion was almost silent. Ivy had been gracious enough to give each guest a room of their own for the night, and Natsu was just looking for an excuse to get into Xiba's. In truth, she was nervous about her parents finding out about their relationship. They were new to her family but protective, nonetheless. She also sought to escape the troubles of the horror she had done regarding Arahabaki earlier, and nobody could cheer her up quite like Xiba.

The perfect chance to be with Xiba made itself apparent when she heard a loud thud coming from down the hall. She was certain it was from Xiba's room. She had already changed into her pajamas - a tank top and short shorts. It was nice to let her skin breathe once in a while, and she often fell asleep without covers. She knocked lightly on the door, feeling a bit chilly and hoping she would be able to use that as an excuse to get closer to Xiba. She intentionally didn't wear socks or bring something to keep herself warm. She wore only a tank top and shorts, absolutely nothing else.

"Shit," she heard a mumble from his room. He cracked the door open when he heard the knock, and when he saw Natsu's smiling face, he quickly pulled her inside and closed the door before anyone else could see into the room he had just destroyed (despite the fact that everyone else was, to their knowledge, asleep).

"Xiba! What in the world were you doing?!" Natsu could not fathom how such a mess was created. What she observed was Xiba's staff sticking straight out of the ground, resting perfectly, vertically upwards.

"I was practicing some moves! Oh man, Ivy's gonna kill me..." he panicked.

"Leave it to you to get your staff stuck in a stranger's carpet," Natsu teased as she went to retrieve it.

"Please don't - you're gonna make it worse," Xiba warned with a cringed face.

"Relax, I got this!" she argued as her hands wrapped around the staff in the floor.

"Natsu! I already did that-"

"Hush." Xiba watched his girlfriend pull on his weapon, but to no avail. She grabbed on to it and simply let herself dangle from it. "Wow, that's in there pretty good."

"That hole's big enough as it is! Natsu, get off of there! It's not a stripper pole!"

"Why? This is fun," she taunted as she made an awkward, yet surprisingly perfect attempt at stripper moves. She dangled from her legs, looking up at Xiba as her breasts fell toward her face. He couldn't help but notice how her body curved with perfection, but played it cool. Her hair seemed a little darker, too, even a few shades darker than it had started turning recently. It suited her better and made her appear more seductive in Xiba's mind. "You don't want me playing with your pole?"

"Uhhh..." Xiba didn't know how to respond to her comment.

"What?" Natsu teased as she continued swinging on her boyfriend's staff. It had yet to budge.

"Nothing. Go ahead. Play with my pole."

"Really?"

"It's ... obviously not moving..."

"I can make it move!" the cheerful ninja-stripper in training told him with a flirty face.

"You just tried and-" he was cut off by the realization of what Natsu meant when she said "pole." She dangled from her legs again, now eye level with Xiba's crotch. She reached out to touch him through his pants, and he jerked, surprised by her advances. She realized she had embarrassed him, and removed herself from the pole.

"I am really surprised with you, Xiba."

"What? Why?"

"I thought I'd find buckets of food in here."

"No, I haven't been hungry. Why, are you? I could take you out."

"I'm not hungry. I just figured I'd find some in here. Oral fixation finally dealt with, then?" she teased as she threw herself on the bed.

"I don't have an oral fixation."

"Because you dealt with it properly."

"I never had an oral fixation."

"That's too bad," Natsu told him as she made herself comfortable, hogging the pillows and sprawled out right in the middle of the bed.

"Why?" Xiba asked as he sat at the foot of the bed, looking down at Natsu.

"I was gonna suggest an alternative coping method."

"I don't have anything to cope with."

"You sure you don't wanna try it anyway?"

"There's nothing to try," he remained oblivious to her advancements, and she was growing increasingly frustrated. "I don't have ... an oral fixation."

As he spoke, Natsu pushed herself up to be eye level with her boyfriend. She drew in to his face and slowly pressed her lips to his, making sure that she didn't rush in to it, even though she wanted to. She wanted him to savor each moment before the kiss.

"Oh. That's what you were getting at..." He smiled foolishly when he realized she was flirting with him, but to his surprise, he was corrected.

"No, it's actually not."

"Huh? Well that's too bad. I could make out with you all night," he said as he leaned in for another kiss. "What did you mean?"

"Ugh, Xiba, quit being such a virgin!" she whined as she stood up and returned to what she now claimed as her stripper pole.

"What? Leave my virginity alone!"

"No, I want it! But you're hopeless..."

"Wait, what? Ah. Shit."

"Too bad, Xiba. Looks like the only pole action I'm getting tonight is this baby right here," she teased him again as she swung around awkwardly on his weapon, and Xiba began to wonder where her energy came from.

_This is the most you've actually moved in the entire time I've known you._

"Are you gonna actually strip or what?" Xiba blurted out, his eyes fixated on Natsu's fluid movements.

"I might," she answered, "... if you're nice enough."

"I'm always nice to you," he reminded her.

"I'm your girlfriend. You have to be nice to me."

"I was nice to you way before you were my girlfriend."

"Yeah. You were, weren't you? You wanna know something, Xiba?"

"What's that?"

"You've got this ... thing about you. I don't know what it is exactly, and I don't know if I'm the only one who gets it, but I just want to take my clothes off when I'm around you."

"I wouldn't mind," he encouraged the former blonde, who smirked at him. He couldn't tell if the smirk was because she was teasing him again, or because she was about to follow through with it.

She turned around on the pole, and her back faced her boyfriend. She did the sexiest routine she could make up on the spot, which involved a lot of grinding and swaying of the hips. She then grasped her shirt from the bottom edge, with each arm on its opposite side, and slid it up over her head. She waved it around in the air fluidly before letting it drop to the floor.

"WHOOOOOOO!" Xiba cheered rather loudly, forgetting what time it was. Natsu quietly turned only her face around and put her finger to her lips, a signal to be quiet. Her front side was still hidden from him, and he craved more. He tossed a few coins in her direction as a joke, asking her, "Are you actually a stripper?"

She laughed and denied the remark, continuing to taunt him with her swaying backside. "No way!"

"You are now," he joked as he tossed another coin in her direction.

Instead of being uptight and defensive about it, she laughed it off and took it as a compliment that only encouraged her. "Am I doing a good job?"

"The best I've ever seen!"

"You've never seen a stripper, have you?"

"No," he admitted.

"Come here, Xiba," she told him, and he approached her from behind. Quickly, she swung around and dangled upside down again. She grabbed him from his clothes and pulled him close to her. She lifted his yellow coat and kissed his stomach before working her way down, ignoring his boyishly ticklish laughs that he tried to suppress.

He remained oblivious to her moves but his body was not. He laughed still, but quickly apologized every time. "Sorry ... I haven't done this before."

"I can tell," Natsu poked fun as she went on to have her way with him. She undid his pants and was pleasantly surprised by its contents. She teased him with her tongue before moving on to more important things. When her mouth met him on all sides, he instantly was taken. He quickly became relaxed enough to stop laughing and focus only on the sensations Natsu was bringing him. Still, he found himself quickly addicted and wanting more. After several minutes had passed, he leaned forward, wanting to return the favor to Natsu but was obstructed by pole and clothing.

She finally let him go, and in perfect timing. She came up with a red face and it was obvious that she was upside down for far too long. Xiba thought she looked dizzy and guided her to the bed with his arms. She let herself fall into it, pulling Xiba down with her. She taunted him with her gaze, not making any moves. It was as if she was challenging him, but challenging herself as well. Restraint was not something she was good at, and she really wanted to kiss him.

Xiba's hand reached out for her face and finally, he made his move. He kissed her for what was probably the hundredth time but still felt like the first. Nervously, his hand slid up to her breasts. Had it not been for his hands, the cold air would have sent shivers down her spine. She hoped it would just so she could use the excuse, "I'm cold," to feel more body heat.

"Wow, these are perfect," he awkwardly commented, and she giggled.

"You act like you've never seen boobs before." When he didn't respond, she knew she was right. "Really, Xiba? Never?"

"Well now I have. Sorry. I'm ... inexperienced."

"It's okay. Me too," she comforted him. "You're the first I've seen."

"I hope that's not a bad thing," he mumbled before hiding his embarrassed face into her neck, where he placed more sweet kisses.

"No," Natsu told him. "I like it."

Immediately he felt a surge of confidence. As he continued kissing her neck, his hand traveled down her body and into her shorts. He felt her smooth skin underneath, and his finger slipped right into her. She was soft and moist, like biscuit dough.

Delicious, buttered biscuit dough.

Now he was hungry.

Perhaps Natsu was right about that whole oral fixation thing. He wanted to see if it tasted similar, but he knew it probably wouldn't. Maybe it would just taste like skin, mixed with the flavor of certain fluids. The boy could not fathom the taste and convinced himself there was one way to find out.

_Stop thinking about biscuit dough, you idiot._

He did want to return the favor, after all.

He nearly ripped her shorts off, he was so excited and eager to taste her. She lifted her bottom and her legs for ease of removal, and he threw the fabric onto the floor of the room after sliding it off her legs. She was now exposed to him. He was pleasantly surprised to learn that she wasn't wearing any underwear. She was ready for him.

Natsu could tell she was right about that oral fixation thing. He really wanted to do this, maybe even more than she did, if that was possible. He kissed her lightly, teasing her, before pressing his tongue to her. As his tongue slid around her opening, and as his lips sucked on her skin, she writhed in excitement. He loved that she was loving this. He was enjoying it for himself, too.

But this just wouldn't do. Her panting reached his ears and drove him wild. He reached to fondle her breasts, and she grabbed onto his arms selfishly when he did, making sure he couldn't let go.

"Natsu..." he spoke up, trying not to ignore her physically too much.

"Yeah?" she returned, sounding lightheaded or sleepy. This was pure bliss.

"Do ... do you want to ..."

"Do I want to what, Xiba?" she taunted him again. She knew what he meant, but she wanted to hear him say it.

"Do you wanna go all the way?" he blurted out. "I'm not even tired at all. Everyone else is asleep. We won't be interrupted. Let's do it."

Wow, he was eager. She didn't think he would show that much excitement, but it turned her on when he did. "Really?"

"Yeah, why not? I'm ready. Are you?"

"Yeah," she answered, hiding her own excitement. Her pulse skyrocketed and when Xiba returned to kiss her, she hurried to get him out of the rest of his clothes. Their kiss became sloppy and careless. They didn't even make it to each other's lips half the time. His saliva was all over her tongue, and vice versa, and even their cheeks were soaked. Finally, he was naked and on top of her.

She had no idea she would have to spread her legs _that_ far. She was almost doing the splits (which the ninja could do very easily) when he pushed into her. She flinched, having thought it would have felt better.

"Ah," she let out, and not pleasantly.

"Does that hurt?" Xiba worried, stopping.

"Just go slower," she spoke as her body tensed up. He did what she requested, and she held her breath as if it would make the pain go away. It helped, but she quickly hid her pain in her lover's kiss.

Eventually, he was completely inside of her. He stopped before coming back out, making sure not to injure her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just really weird."

"It feels great, Natsu."

"Ugh, really? This isn't how I thought it'd be..."

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" he asked, not wanting to stop now. He kept moving slowly inside of her, hoping her body would warm up to his touch.

She moaned as he pushed back into her, but it wasn't exactly a satisfied moan. It was similar to the sound a person would let out after being injected with something that they were prepared for. In some twisted way, the preparation would actually make it more bearable. "People wouldn't do it if it was that bad, right?"

"No, of course not!" Xiba figured. "Natsu, if it hurts-"

"No, I want you to make love to me," she interrupted, prompting him to be as gentle and loving as he could make himself be. He carefully watched her expressions as he continued pushing into her, wishing that she would feel the same as he did, physically. Her eyes would clench shut and she would force them open, staring into Xiba's eyes. She bit her lip to distract herself from the pain. He went in more smoothly than before, but it was still an odd sensation to the teenager. Her painful moans turned into small whines and quick exhales. Her fingers clenched to the fabric of the sheets and then to Xiba's hair.

She wasn't struggling anymore. Xiba could sense this, but was afraid of hurting her again. He was stuck in his pace and wondered how long they might stay like that.

"Is this okay?"

"You can go faster," she suggested in a mumble. He did just that, only to be shot down afterward. "Ow! Ow, not that fast!"

"Sorry! Sorry," he repeated as he slowed down. "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"No permanent damage," she tried to brush it off. "I'm okay."

"Why don't you get on top?" he sounded a bit irritated, but insisted it was because, "You'll know how fast to go without hurting yourself."

She looked deep in thought and then answered. "Ooh, that sounds fun."

"Really?" he was surprised by her cooperation and eager to continue.

"Yeah," she answered as they started rearranging themselves. Xiba started off with his hands underneath her body, hoping to stay inside as they moved about, but quickly gave up and realized that it would feel better for her if she was in complete control. Finally, he was on his back and she lowered herself onto him slowly. He tried not to move for fear of hurting Natsu, but this position seemed to work better for her and she soon appeared to be okay with it all.

"Better?" he questioned as he caught a smile on her face.

"So much better," she answered with a dazed look in her eye and a heavy sigh. Xiba couldn't help but move in response, and didn't even notice what he was doing so for quite some time. He expected Natsu to scold him or complain about injuries, but it didn't happen. His hands reached out for her waist, her hips, her stomach, her breasts. Her hands pressed to his smooth chest, pushing her body up and down.

As she dropped down, he pushed deeper into her. The penetration was definitely stronger and deeper than before. Natsu looked like she was about to cry in pleasure. She sounded like it, too.

"Sshh," Xiba silenced her from below, shoving his hand to her mouth. Obviously he didn't want to wake anyone and have their love session interrupted, but it was obvious this was what he wanted to tell her. There was no need for words.

Natsu stared him in the eyes and eventually he let go. He strayed from her mouth, leaving his thumb to her lips and his hand on her cheek, and she pressed into it.

Her breasts swayed in his face and he noticed her growing weak. She had been riding him like this for the past several minutes and knew her arms and legs were giving out. This time, he managed to stay inside of her as he rolled on top of her to finish her off. He hoped she had become accustomed to these sensations enough to not have it ruined by him being on top again. She didn't object, fortunately. She rested on top of his arms as he thrusted into her repeatedly, no longer afraid of awkwardness or a terrible performance. The two wanted each other, and that was all.

Only sweat stood between the two lovers. Their skin pressed together, almost fused together as one. Her hands pulled him close to her from his back. Soft, panting lips pressed together loosely as the teens achieved climax. He felt her squeezing him involuntarily, which drove him to his own peak of excitement. He made a mess all over her leg and all over the sheets, but neither seemed to care.

After several minutes had passed, Xiba could only think of one thing to say in response to the night's events: "Wow."

"Yeah. Wow," Natsu seconded. The two were back to being awkward, but they were happy. She eventually made it to her feet and retrieved her clothes from the floor, putting them back on.

"Where are you going?" Xiba whined when she stepped away.

"Back to my room."

"What? Why?" he sat up to face her.

"It'd be weird if we were caught."

"Why? I don't care if we get caught," Xiba argued. "I mean, _that_ part's over, anyway."

"Your parents are just down the hall. So are mine," she reminded him.

"So? We only just found out. It's kinda weird to think of them as parents. Just come back to bed with me, please?"

"... You're right," she agreed. She threw herself onto the bed and kissed Xiba before getting under the covers.

"I like what you did with your hair," Xiba commented, no longer distracted by perverted hopes and dreams.

"I didn't really do anything to it, but thanks."

"Why's it darker, then?"

She didn't know how to answer that. She had a small inkling but didn't want to make any foolish assumptions.

_Arahabaki can't be the reason ... can it?_

_I definitely feel different._

_Actually, I've been feeling a lot different lately, about everything._

_I don't even feel like myself half the time._

_I have been summoning Arahabaki a lot more recently._

_And now ... it's gone._

_And I feel so much better._

_But I'm also worried about the damage I've done._

_Could it be that Arahabaki had drained me of my energy? I feel like I have so much more, now that it's gone._

_I did have darker hair before I concealed it..._

"Natsu?" Xiba interrupted her racing thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Everything okay?" he worried. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"What? No! You were great," she reassured him with a kiss on the cheek.

"You sure? Something seems ... off."

"It's nothing to do with you, Xiba. I just have a lot on my mind."

He sighed and waited a moment to respond. "I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't relax your mind."

"Don't worry, you made me forget for a little while."

"Forget about what, exactly?"

"... Promise you won't hate me?"

"I could never hate you! Why, what'd you do? You're not breaking up with me are you?!"

"No!" she laughed it off, and was happy to see Xiba that concerned. "It's just that ... I don't know. I feel like I fucked up really bad."

"Not at all! It was perfect."

"Not that," she corrected. "I um ... well, as you know, when I was really young, I had something ... concealed in me."

"Yeah, I know that."

"Okay. And you know how recently, I've been unleashing it a bit more?"

"Yeah?"

"... I've lost my grip on it," she didn't know how to put it. She didn't know how to feel about it, either. She knew the dangers of it, but she felt so much better now that it had left her body for good. She was torn between wanting to reconceal it for the sake of humanity and setting it free for her own good.

"What do you mean?"

"I unleashed it again ... and apparently, for good this time."

"How'd you manage that?" he asked non-judgementally.

"I don't know. I didn't intend for it. I just wanted to stop all the fighting. I didn't want to be a menace to the world. But now it's out there, and just-"

"Hey, don't worry too much. You didn't intend to do it, so don't beat yourself up over it. Please?"

"But-"

"And it's not the first time a demon has existed outside of a human conceal."

"Still-"

"How do you know it's unleashed for good?"

"It talked to me. It never did that before, and it never came back to me."

"And how exactly did you unleash it for good?"

"I don't know."

"You see? You didn't know. So there was nothing in your power that you could have done to keep it inside. So you have no right to be mad at yourself, Natsu. You didn't know."

"I guess you're right. But I'm still worried."

"Reasonably so."

"I just wish I understood how it happened."

"Me too, Natsu. We'll talk to Taki in the morning. Maybe she'll know something?"

"Maybe."

"Let's just try to get some sleep, then. And try not to worry so much. I love you."

"I love you, too. Thanks, Xiba."

**Author's note:**

**It might take a while before I upload the next few chapters. There's one chapter in particular I want to write, but it isn't the next chapter so I'll be writing out of order here in a bit, and then upload later. I hope I can write as much as I plan, but that's challenging with a 50+ hour work week. So I apologize for any delays, and thank you for your patience! I promise I'll make it worth it! :D**


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